San Beda comes back roaring

Games today:

(Filoil EcoOil Centre)

12 p.m. — San Sebastian vs Arellano

2:30 p.m. — Saint Benilde vs Letran

Defending champion San Beda University got back into the groove after pulling off a 77-60 win over Jose Rizal University in Season 100 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Team captain Yukien Andrada posted a double-double game of 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Red Lions bounced back from their 68-55 loss to Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) last Tuesday.

In fact, Andrada’s layup with two minutes and 21 seconds left in the second quarter capped a 20-5 run that turned a 16-14 edge into a 36-19 advantage for San Beda.

NCAA Season 99 Finals Most Valuable Player James Payosing gave the Lions their biggest lead of the game, 46-20, after sinking two free throws with 36.5 seconds of the second quarter.

The Heavy Bombers closed in on San Beda, 51-41, in the 4:33 minute-mark of the third quarter but back-to-back triples from Andrada and Oliver Tagle crushed any hopes of a comeback.

Lions head coach Yuri Escueta said the squad went aggressive from the start this time.

“I have to give it to the boys on how they played today. They really came out swinging,” Escueta said.

“The energy and effort was really there, you can see it right from the start.”

Bryan Sajonia bounced back from his three-point outing against EAC and scored 14 points against JRU while Payosing and Jomel Puno dropped 13 points each as San Beda rises to third place with a 3-2 win-loss record in the standings.

Shawn Argente led JRU with a career-high 27 points.

In the first game, the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta snapped a two-game losing skid after a 73-67 win over the Generals.

Altas super rookie Mark Gojo Cruz led the team with 18 points while Christian Pagaran flirted with a double-double with 15 points and nine assists.