Rookie Janti Miller answered the call of duty with his A-Game to help San Beda demolish Arellano University, 76-53, Friday for the Red Lions’ third straight win in Season 101 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

Miller led the Red Lions with 20 points and seven rebounds for a 5-1 win-loss card in Group B.

“We knew not to take them lightly. We came into practice locked in, came out, executed the game plan and won,” Miller said.

A jumper from Zedjay Etulle with 4:03 left in the third quarter capped a 13-5 run for San Beda as the Mendiola-based squad established a 50-36 lead and never looked back. 

The Lions also forced the Chiefs to a lowly 27.6 percent field goal shooting clip with their stifling defense in the second half. 

Jomel Puno flirted with a double-double of 10 points and eight boards for San Beda.

T-Mc Ongotan finished with 14 points for Arellano but shot 5-of-18 from the field as they sank to a 3-4 slate in Group A.

In the second game, Jose Rizal University stunned defending champion Mapua, 66-63, in a game that saw Justin Lozano taking a bad fall and being stretchered off the court.

Lozano, who made 13 points, three rebounds and two steals when the incident took place, tried to stop a fastbreak play by Cyrus Nitura and hit his head on the floor.

The win raised the Heavy Bombers’ card to 4-4 while the Cardinals fell to 3-4.