The Perpetual Altas rally behind the steady heroics of ace players Mark Gojo Cruz and Patrick Sleat to make quick work of the JRU Heavy Bombers, 81-74, to become the first team to crack the semifinals of the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament. 

The Group A top seed was in control almost the entire game, leading by as much as 16 points in the first quarter.

Despite a 12-point cushion at the end of the third, the Altas had to muster some crucial stops to fend off a gutsy fightback from the Heavy Bombers in the final minute of the fourth.

Down nine with 2:11 left in regulation, the JRU showed maximum resilience with back-to-back triples courtesy of rookies Sean Salvador and Yuri Duque to trim Perpetual’s lead down to only three.

That was when ace recruit Patrick Sleat decided to take matters into his own hands and drained the dagger layup off an isolation play that turned out to be the deciding basket for the semis-bound Altas.

Sleat earned the best player honors after dropping all-around numbers of 14 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals, while his running mate Mark Gojo Cruz scored a game-high 23 points alongside 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. 

Hot-shot rookie Sean Salvador led the charge for the young squad of JRU with 18 markers on 3-for-9 three-point shooting, while fellow rookie Allan Laurenaria added 16. 

The Perpetual Altas, now waiting in the semifinal round, will await the winner of the grudge quarterfinals match between Arellano and Letran.