VICTORY AT LAST: After 41 years, Perpetual clinches NCAA cage crown

For the first time in 41 years, University of Perpetual Help System Dalta is on top of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball totem pole.

The Junior Altas delivered a masterful performance to pull off a 34-point massacre of La Salle Green Hills (LSGH), 101-67, and secure the Season 100 juniors basketball title before a huge Holy Week crowd yesterday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Jan Roluna and Icee Callangan were at their best, logging double-double performances while Most Valuable Player Lebron Jhames Daep provided stability down low to help the school win an NCAA basketball crown for the first time since 1984.

Roluna fired 15 points and 10 rebounds while Callangan chipped in 14 markers and 12 assists for the Junior Altas, who posted a strong start and a stronger finish to complete the historic feat.

“We went back to our viewing room and checked what went wrong. Praise God, my coaching staff helped me and we worked hard on it,” said Perpetual coach Joph Cleopas, who drew 10 points from Daep, who was ranked as the second-best high school player in the country behind Kieffer Alas of De La Salle Zobel.

“I was impressed with the kids. They made a statement win and told them if we made a mistake, we move on.”

“This is the best game I’ve seen.”

Aside from serving as the school’s first basketball title in 41 years, the feat was also a redemption of sorts as it gave the Junior Altas a chance to redeem themselves from a heartbreaking loss to Letran College in the finals of Season 99 last year.

It also avenged their Game 2 loss to the Greenies, 91-95, while handing LSGH coach Renren Ritualo his second loss in the finals after bowing to the Andy Gemao and the Squires in Season 98 in 2023.

The Junior Altas kicked off the match on a high note.

Dan Rosales knocked down a three-pointer with 2:50 left in the opening quarter to ignite a 17-3 run that gave the Junior Altas a 14-point spread early on.

Since then, the Junior Altas never looked back, even posting a 34-point lead, 99-65, that completely demoralized the Greenies with only a minute left in the game.

Guillan Quines, who sizzled with 35 points and 11 rebounds in their Game 2 win, scored 18 points, four rebounds, two assists, and five steals in his last hurrah with the Greenies.

The scores:

PERPETUAL (101) — Roluna 15, Callangan 14, Corpuz 13, Rosales 12, Daep 10, Pagulayan 9, Tabbuan 9, Baldoria 5, Nitura 3, Dela Cruz 3, Velasquez 2, Borja 2, Llupar 2, Cristino 2, Zanoria 0.

LSGH (67) — Quines 18, Gomez 17, Ortega 9, Podador 8, Osis 4, Yutuc 3, Ison 2, Sharma 2, Torres 2, Abad 2, Hizon 0.

QUARTERS: 32-18, 58-38, 81-55, 101-67.