University of Perpetual Help System DALTA moved closer to completing its unfinished business, claiming a 100-96 win over La Salle Green Hills, the high school team of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, in Game 1 of the NCAA Season 100 juniors basketball finals on Friday.
The Junior ALTAs once again flaunted their depth to draw first blood in the best-of-three series, where they are looking to capture what could be the school's first-ever basketball title in any rank.
MVP frontrunner Lebron Jhames Daep nearly posted a double-double effort with 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one block while Jan Roluna poured 20 markers, five boards, two dimes, and three steals.
Jericho Cristino and JD Pagulayan both came up big, especially in the second half, finishing with 14 and 13 points, respectively, while rookie Dan Rosales chipped in 12.
"Praise God nakuha namin itong game, we're very blessed. This is the game na I was expecting kasi alam namin na lalaban talaga ang Green Hills. Last game namin sa kanila sa kanila sa elims apat lang din lamang namin sa kanila," Perpetual head coach Joph Cleopas said.
"Dikit lang din talaga. I told the boys that this will be a tough game for us."
Perpetual was staring at a 45-44 deficit at the half, but Pagulayan displayed his veteran presence and unleashed a triple that made it a 73-66 lead before Daep sank a putback at the buzzer as they headed to the fourth with a 79-68 cushion.
Daep even buried a rare triple for an 85-72 advantage while a Roluna basket off a Pagulayan pass and steal sent the Junior ALTAs to a 90-82 cushion with 4:05 left.
But the Greenies, who were just coming off huge back-to-back wins over Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the semifinals, showed their fighting spirit behind Dale Ortega, whose three-point play saw LSGH trimming it to just three points, 90-87.
Guillian Quines made it a two-point separation after a pair of free throws in the final 1:20, 92-90. But Roluna and Pagulayan came up clutch to salvage the Junior ALTAs.
Roluna knocked down two free throws before Pagulayan nailed a cold-blooded three-pointer that proved to be the dagger, sending Perpetual to a 97-92 lead.
Quines shone for the embattled Greenies with 29 points, two rebounds, three assists, four steals, and one block but had to sit for most of the time due to foul trouble, including a technical foul halfway in the third quarter.
Ortega and Gian Gomez tallied 19 and 15 markers to step up in the absence of Arle Podador, who was disqualified at the 3:30 mark of second quarter for hitting Aries Borja to the stomach.
The scores:
Perpetual 100 - Daep 21, Roluna 20, Cristino 14, Pagulayan 13, Rosales 12, Baldoria 6, Callangan 5, Corpuz 5, Tabbuan 4, Velasquez 0, Zanoria 0, Borja 0.
La Salle Green Hills 96 - Quines 29, Ortega 19, Gomez 15, Osis 11, Abad 7, Sharma 6, Hizon 5, Yutuc 4, Podador 0, Ison 0.
Quarters: 26-22, 44-45, 79-68, 100-96.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
