FilOil: JRU bests NCAA rivals CSB, notches first win

With similar records at 0-2, one team was bound to go home with their first win. That squad turned out to be the young, rebuilding Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, as they clobbered the College of St. Benilde Blazers, 87-75 on Saturday, at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan. The Heavy Bombers shoot up to the middle of the standings with a 1-2 card, tied with the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, while the Blazers take a slight dip, knotting Perpetual Help with a 0-3 record. Four Heavy Bombers combined for 63 of their team’s 87 points, as JRU wiped out a 13-point first quarter CSB lead with 57 points across the second and third periods. Former San Beda College Red Lion Paolo Pontejos tallied 22 points, five rebounds, and four assists, making six out of his nine tries from long-distance. Guard Phillip Paniamogan followed suit with 18 points of his own. Center-forward Michale Mabulac notched 12 points along with 11 rebounds, while starting guard Gio Lasquety scored 11 points. In the first quarter, JRU head coach Vergel Meneses called a quick timeout at the 6:04 mark after the Blazers fired an early 11-4 run owing to fast break baskets. Meneses admonished his boys, saying “Hindi kayo bumobox-out, hindi kayo bumabantay. Matatalo talaga tayo niyan.” JRU responded poorly though, allowing two straight scores by Blazers forward JR Ongteco, while they continued continued to misfire, 14-4. Coach Meneses continued to shake his head in disgust, pulling one of his men after missing a three-pointer, subbing in guard Cris Dela Paz. On an ensuing play, JRU point guard Gino Lasquety lost his shoe, which CSB point guard RJ Argamino flung to the sidelines. Coach Meneses, frustrated and breathing heavily, subbed in point guard Paolo Pontejos at the 40.2 second mark. The Heavy Bombers managed to water the lead down to single digits after a triple by Lasquety, 20-12, but the Blazers made quick halfcourt passes after rebounds, resulting in easy fast break baskets. CSB went on to score five straight points, with an and-one basket by lefty swingman Jonathan Grey to put an exclamation point on a blistering first quarter for CSB. Early in the second quarter, JRU forward Brandon Porter lay out in the playing court writhing in pain, clutching his shoulder, which seemingly appeared to have popped out of place. As play resumed, the Heavy Bombers took charge, going on a 10-4 run capped off by a short jumper by Pontejos, 36-30. A triple by Benilde forward Mark Romero put the Blazers back up by 10 points, but it was a lead that would melt away at the hands of Nick Abanto and the Heavy Bombers. Benilde’s forwards found themselves in foul trouble, as Ongteco picked up his third personal foul, while the referees slapped CSB forward Ralph Deles with an disqualifying foul after throwing an closed fist to Abanto. Abanto made his free throws, 40-35, and the Blazers inched close with a triple by Pontejos, 40-38. A free throw by Paolo Taha and and a short jumper by CSB guard Luis Sinco quelled a short scoring drought by the Blazers, but Pontejos beat the buzzer with a three from 30-feet to close the gap at 43-41 heading into the halftime break. The Blazers owed their halftime lead to 17 turnover points coming off 14 JRU turnovers. The Blazers also dutifully made most of their foul shots, converting 11 out of 15 (73 percent) to earn a slim margin by halftime. The Bombers managed to close the gap with their three-point shooting, making seven out of 15 tries (47 percent). Pontejos had three treys while guard Phillip Paniamogan contributed a pair. Notable is JRU’s effort on the glass after the first quarter, out-rebounding Benilde 23-15. The Heavy Bombers went on full demolition mode in the third quarter, grabbing the lead barely 20 seconds into the quarter after Pontejos drilled in a triple from the right wing, 44-43. Coach Meneses fielded a three-guard line-up to match up with the Blazers’ running game, with Pontejos, Paniamogan, and Dave Sanchez bothering CSB’s running game. The full court press paid off beautifully for Meneses, as the Blazers went on a 13-2 run midway through the third. The Blazers were unable to recover, their run-and-gun game foiled and their big men in foul trouble. JRU continued on obliterating them on the offensive end, as Paniamogan and Pontejos made two consecutive triples to put JRU up, 65-48. Coach Velasco emptied his bench towards the end of the third, as JRU took full command of the game at 69-52 heading into the final ten minutes of the quarter. The Blazers, in a last-ditch effort to win the game, went on a 6-0 run early in the fourth, but the effort proved to be futile, as JRU countered every point that the Blazers made from there. The Blazers’ starters lost their first quarter swagger, missing their lay-ups and running out the clock on their possessions. The game was deemed finished as coach Meneses lost the frown he was sporting in the first quarter. The biggest lead of the game was at 19 points, after a fast break lay-up by Lasquety. The game ended at 87-75. The Blazers wilted after their brilliant first quarter, making only three out of their 13 total attempts from downtown, albeit making 20 of their 40 tries from within the arc (50 percent). The Heavy Bombers severely beat them on the boards, and even played their fast break game, with the Blazers notching 25 points and the Heavy Bombers coming close with 21 of their own. Paolo Romero led the way for the Blazers, scoring 15 points. Chipping in 14 of his own was Paolo Taha, followed by Luis Sinco with 12, and GJonathan rey with 11. The win gave JRU Coach Vergel Meneses his first win of the tourney, while new CSB Coach Gabby Velasco still has four games to scrounge around for a win. JRU made 12 out of 26 tries from long distance (46 percent) and made 15-of-21 of their foul shots (71 percent). The Heavy Bombers out-rebounded their Taft-based counterparts with a 42-33 carom differential. The Heavy Bombers are teeming with youth this year, after the exit of the likes of Nate Matute and Nat Lopez. Looking to fill the score sheet for JRU is former San Beda Red Lion Paulo Pontejos, who scored 15 points in a tough loss against the 5-0 NU Bulldogs previously. In their two prior games, CSB forward Mark Romero has carried a trunkload of the scoring, averaging 15 points in two games, the only one on the team to average double figures in scoring. The Blazers are sorely lacking in offensive options after swingman Carlo Lastimosa chose to conclude his college career. The College of Saint Benilde is also parading new coach Gabby Velasco, who steered the UCLAA's St. Francis of Assisi College Doves to four straight titles. Velasco has had both UAAP and PBA experience, being an assistant coach to Franz Pumaren in DLSU and was actually head coach from 1992-1993. Velasco was also an assistant coach for the now-defunct Pepsi Hotshots in the PBA on 1991. The Blazers are set to go up against the winless UP Fighting Maroons (0-2) on Monday, May 6, at 12:45pm, while JRU is also slated to face another winless team, the UPHSD Altas (0-3), at 4:15pm on Wednesday, May 8. - AMD, GMA News The scores: JRU – Pontejos 22, Paniamogan 18, Mabulac 12, Lasquety 11, Abanto 8, Sanchez 6, Balagtas 5, Dela Paz 3, Salaveria 2, Gorospe 0, Diego 0, Porter 0 CSB – Romero 15, Taha 14, Sinco 12, Grey 11, Ongteco 7, Bartolo 7, Saavedra 5, Argamino 2, Jonson 2, Deles 0, Garcia 0, De Guzman 0, Lastimosa 0, Castor 0 Quarter scoring: 12-25, 41-43, 69-52, 87-75