NCAA: EAC rallies past St. Benilde, ends losing skid

MANILA — Emilio Aguinaldo College erased a double-digit deficit to stun College of St. Benilde, 86-78, and get back on the winning track in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Thursday at the San Juan Arena.

The Generals overturned a 19-point deficit on their way to snapping a two-game losing skid.

“‘Yong adjustments namin, talagang nagsimula sa depensa. Kinailangan talaga namin dumiin sa depensa para makuha ‘tong panalo,” Joseph Nunag said after dropping 17 points, five rebounds and three assists.

“Collective effort din kami lahat, kaya nahabol namin.”

The Generals were able to trim their huge disadvantage to three, 71-68, heading into the fourth quarter.

The Blazers, who slid down to 6-2 in Group A, continued to lose steam in the payoff period, allowing EAC to go on a quarter-opening 5-2 spurt that gave coach Jerson Cabiltes’ wards a 75-73 advantage.

Jhommel Ancheta halted the Generals’ hot run with a jumper to tie the game at 75-all but that only gave way to another 10-3 EAC run capped off by a Jude Bagay bucket to take the decisive 85-78 advantage with under a minute left in the game.

The troika of Wilmar Oftana, Jacob Shanoda and EJ Castillo helped EAC’s cause with 15, 13 and 12 points, respectively, as the Generals improved to 3-5.

Justine Sanchez and John Morales scored 16 points each, while Ancheta and SJ Moore added 14 and 11, respectively. However, the Blazers saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.

EAC 86 – Nunag 17, Oftana 15, Shanoda 13, Castillo 12, Bagay 7, Coronel 7, M. Raymundo 6, H. Raymundo 3, Bonus 3, Ochavo 3, Luna 0, Sealey 0

CSB 78 – Sanchez 16, Morales 16, Ancheta 14, Moore 11, Jucom 6, Arciaga 5, Cajucom 5, Podador 3, Go 2, Torres 0, Lorenzo 0, Daja 0, Jarque 0

Quarter scores: 23-29, 40-56, 68-71, 86-78