24 September 2019
By Maxine Louise Lagman
MANILA, Philippines – For the 14th consecutive season, San Beda University clinched a spot in the Final Four after outlasting San Sebastian College, 91-76, on Tuesday in the NCAA Season 95 men’s basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.
“I’m just happy the way the boys responded in every game that we have right now in the season, but [it’s] still a long way,” said San Beda head coach Boyet Fernandez, as they have now won 27 straight games since last season.
The Red Lions were in complete control of the match and took a comfortable 17-point lead in the first half, but RK Ilagan and Allyn Bulanadi combined for big buckets that cut the deficit to eight, 51-43.
The Stags tried to make a comeback at the second half, but they could only make it to as close as nine points, 71-62, until San Beda’s force only blew up their lead to a double digit again to easily cruise to victory.
“I salute my players for this. We’ve been having problems in the first three games in the second round, but I’m really happy the way our players responded today,” Fernandez added. “They really showed what they’re capable of, and I’m really happy that we won this game.”
James Canlas paced San Beda with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting, on top of five assists and four rebounds, while big man Donald Tankoua added 18 points. Calvin Oftan chipped in 15 markers, eight boards, and four assists, while Evan Nelle had 11 points and seven assists.
For the Golden Stags, Ilagan topped with 16 points, while Bulanadi added 14 markers. Rommel Calahat had a double-double outing of 12 points and 10 rebounds as they dropped to a 7-5 slate.
The Scores:
SAN BEDA 91 – Canlas 20, Tankoua 18, Oftana 15, Soberano 14, Nelle 11, Doliguez 10, Bahio 2, Cuntapay 1, Abuda 0, Alfaro 0, Carino 0
SAN SEBASTIAN 76 – Ilagan 16, Bulanadi 14, Calahat 12, Sumoda 9, Capobres 8, Calma 7, Desoyo 4, Cosari 3, Altamirano 3, Villapando 0, Isidro 0, Loristo 0
Quarter scores: 30-17, 51-43, 71-62, 91-76
Follow the writer on Twitter: @meanxi
