By Rick Olivares
NO Jiovani Jalalon.
Not exactly an easy game. But the Arellano University Chiefs got by with their other two incredible guards—Kent Salado and Donald Gumaru—to pip the San Sebastian College Stags, 80-78, in the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup on Friday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Stags looked to stun the Chiefs with their strong drive-and-draw game plan that allowed for plenty of under-goal stabs en route to a 52-25 first-half lead.
The Chiefs regroup and rattled off 11 fast-break points in the third period that saw them cut the lead, 64-60, heading into the final canto.
In spite of coming close, Arellano University continued to be frustrated in its attempts to overhaul the lead. After a 24-second violation with 3:57 left, it looked bleak for the Chiefs as San Sebastian scored on a Michael Calissan short stab to make it, 73-68.
The Chiefs started their final push on the defensive end with young power forward Lervin Flores atoning for an earlier miscue by coming up with a steal that saw Gumaru score on a lay-up. Flores came up big once more when a pair of blocked shots led to three triples—all assisted by Salado—by Gumaru.
Gumaru’s second triple gave Arellano University its first taste of the lead at 76-75. After a pair of free throws by San Sebastian’s Alvin Capobres gave the lead back to the Stags, Gumaru again drilled a triple from the left corner, this time for a lead they would not surrender.
Center Dioncee Holts added a free throw to notch the count at 80-78.
The Stags rued their missed free throws and turnovers down the stretch that hurt their chances of bagging the victory. San Sebastian missed five free throws and committed as many turnovers in the final frame that ushered in their doom.
They collectively connected 18-of-31 free-throw attempts while their turnover count went up from a mere seven in the first half to 11 more in the final 20 minutes.
“It was a difficult game,” pronounced Arellano Coach Jerry Codiñera. “But this is a game we hope to learn from.”
Codiñera added that the Chiefs just came off a difficult loss as well to Mapua in another league that coupled with their previous loss to Perpetual Help in the Premier Cup had his team in a funk.
The Chiefs were without their star playmaker Jalalon, who is with the national team for the Stankovic Cup from May 22 to 28 in Bangkok.
Salado led Arellano University with 18 points, while Gumaru knocked in 18. Bylle Meca and Allen Enriquez chipped in 10 points each.
San Sebastian’s Michael Calissan was the only Stag in double figures with 19 points.
Arellano went up to 4-1 won-lost in Group A while San Sebastian fell to 2-3.
On Saturday, University of the Philippines takes on Emilio Aguinaldo College at 11:15 p.m., Adamson University clashes with Mapua at 1:30 p.m., Letran battles University of the East at 3:15 p.m. and San Beda goes up against De La Salle at 5 p.m.