26 July 2019
By Maxine Louise Lagman
MANILA, Philippines – Kent Salado paved the way for Arellano University to win their first game of the season against Emilio Aguinaldo College, 86-77, Friday in the NCAA Season 95 men’s basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.
Salado finished with a double-double record of 24 points and 11 assists, along with four rebounds. This is the Chief’s first win in the season, improving their record into a 1-3 slate.
“Medyo nabawasan ng konti (yung tinik sa dibdib),” Arellano head coach Cholo Martin said. “It’s still a long way, we can still improve and I’ve been telling them that if we want something, we have to work hard. Di pwede mag-give up kami.”
Hungry for the win, Arellano surged from the get go for a comfortable 47-36 lead at the half. The Generals tried to make a comeback coming from the dug-out and closed within nine, 50-59, in the third quarter, but they failed to maintain their momentum and succumbed to the Chiefs.
Archie Concepcion flirted with another double-double record of 14 markers and nine boards, while Dariel Bayla added 11 points and 13 rebounds for the win. Raymart Sablan also had a stunning performance thanks to his multiple triples in the game for a total of 10 points.
Though JP Maguliano knocked down big numbers for the Generals, 26 points and 14 rebounds, it was still not enough to save them from dropping to a 1-4 slate.
The Scores:
ARELLANO (86) — Salado 24, Concepcion 14, Bayla 11, Sablan 10, Espiritu 8, Arana 5, Oliva 5, Alcoriza 3, Santos 2, Gayosa 2, Talampas 2, Segura 0, Sunga 0, De Guzman 0.
EAC (77) — Maguliano 26, De Guzman 12, Mendoza 9, Taywan 8, Gonzales 8, Gurtiza 6, Luciano 6, Corilla 2, Martin 0, Tampoc 0, Dayrit 0, Cadua 0, Boffa 0.
Quarters: 29-15, 47-36, 59-50, 86-77.
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