University of Perpetual Help System DALTA will make its return to the Final Four after defeating College of Saint Benilde, 76-64, in a knockout game to survive the NCAA Season 97 play-in round on Wednesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
Playing without veteran Kim Aurin, Perpetual found plenty of heroes ready to step up as five different Altas scored in double-figures, led by John Abis with 14 points.
Jielo Razon added 13 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists while Jef Egan finished with 13. Cris Pagaran and JP Boral both reached double figures as well, with 12 and 11 markers, respectively.
JC Cullar led CSB with 18 points while Will Gozum added 13 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks.
With the win, rookie coach Myk Saguiguit was able to lead Perpetual to its first appearance in the Final Four since NCAA Season 94. Awaiting them is a semifinal matchup with #1 seed Colegio de San Juan de Letran, which swept the elimination round, 9-0.
In the semis, the Altas will be attempting to reach the finals for the first time since 2004.
Aurin, who averaged 14.4 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Altas in the elimination round, missed the game with a case of chicken pox.
In his absence, though, Saguiguit called on the number of Boral, who came out and scored eight points in the first period, including two early three-pointers. With some backup from Egan, the Altas ended the first ahead by seven, 21-14.
CSB tried to get its running game going in the second as they closed the gap back to two, but Perpetual shut that down and built their lead up to double figures before settling for a 40-32 halftime lead.
In the third, it was another unsung hero in John Abis who stepped up to the plate, scoring nine points as they again held off the Blazers' comeback attempts with a counter-run of their own. Perpetual held a 12-point lead, 59-47, heading into the final period.
Benilde gathered a little bit of momentum in the fourth as they slashed a 13-point deficit down to eight behind some big plays from Cullar, Miggy Corteza, and Robi Nayve, 66-58.
But Razon scored five straight points on a fastbreak finish and three free throws, including one off a technical foul on CSB coach Charles Tiu, to restore a 71-58 lead with two minutes left.
The Blazers missed the services of AJ Benson, who served out a one-game suspension after accumulating two unsportsmanlike fouls in their previous game.
The scores:
Perpetual 76 - Abis 14, Razon 13, Egan 13, Pagaran 12, Boral 11, Omega 6, Martel 4, Cuevas 2, Sevilla 1, Barcuma 0.
CSB 64 - Cullar 18, Gozum 13, Flores 10, Nayve 8, Corteza 8, Lim 4, Lepalam 2, Marcos 1, Carlos 0, SAngco 0, Publico 0, Mosqueda 0, Davis 0.
Quarters: 21-14, 40-32, 59-47, 76-64.
—JMB, GMA News
