Junior Altas crush Staglets, make semis

University of Perpetual Help Dalta System books a ticket to the Final Four following a masterful 104-69 crushing of San Sebastian College in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) juniors’ basketball tournament yesterday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Lebron Jhames Daep, JD Pagulayan and Jon Roluna churned in solid numbers to give the Junior Altas their seventh win in eight matches that sent them to the semifinals for the second consecutive season.

They will shoot for a strong finish when they close the elimination round against reigning titlist Letran College in a rematch of last year’s finals.

The 6-foot-7 Daep fired a team-high 20 points, six rebounds and an assist in more than 20 minutes of action while Pagulayan chipped in 15 markers, four rebounds and three assists for Perpetual, which intensified its hunt for its first ever NCAA crown.

Roluna chipped in 11 points while Louie Rosales notched 10 markers to underscore the Junior Altas’ well-balanced offensive attack.

Despite the 35-point victory, Perpetual coach Joph Cleofas stressed the need to stay hungry and grounded.

“We really respect Baste (San Sebastian) and deep inside, we’re so happy, but I’m controlling my emotions,” Cleofas said.

“Even the players, I remind them, we’re not there yet. Nobody wins in the semifinals. So, we need to respect our next games and just be ready and stay grounded.”

Sanlea Penaverde knocked down a double-double performance of 25 pts and 11 rebounds, six steals and an assist while Benedick Jimenez also contributed 25 points and four rebounds for the Staglets.

Meanwhile, San Beda University pulled away late to avert a major collapse against the winless Lyceum of the Philippines University, 68-56, behind the heroics of Andrei Ugaddan and Francis Dollente.

Dollente led their fourth quarter breakaway after sparking a 9-0 start in the last quarter to finish with 13 points, four rebounds, five steals, and four assists while Ugaddan posted 17 markers, eight boards, and two steals as the Red Cubs improved to 5-3.

The also-ran Junior Pirates, meanwhile, remained winless at 0-8.