University of Perpetual Help System DALTA is right where it's expected to be, booking the first Final Four ticket in the NCAA Season 100 juniors basketball tournament on Tuesday.
This after the Junior ALTAs dismantled skidding San Sebastian College-Recoletos by 35 points, 104-69, behind seniors Lebron Jhames Daep, JD Pagulayan, and Jan Roluna, who all churned out double-digit outputs.
The 6-foot-7 Daep led the offense with 20 points, highlighted by a surprise 3-of-4 shooting clip from deep, alongside by six rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Pagulayan and Roluna chipped in 15 and 11 markers.
Perpetual, which is eyeing to eclipse its runner-up finish last year and win it all this time around, has now improved to 7-1 with only one game left in its elimination round run against no less than Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
But while the Junior ALTAs continue to live up to the billing, the Las Piñas crew isn't letting the emotions get in their head as they look forward to a tougher road ahead.
"We really respect Baste and deep inside sobrang saya, but I'm controlling my emotions. even the players, I remind them, na wala pa e. Walang nananalo sa semifinals," Perpetual head coach Joph Cleopas said.
"So we need to respect 'yung mga next games namin and just be ready lang and stay grounded."
[We really respect Baste and deep inside, we're so happy, but I'm controlling my emotions. 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.]
In the second game, 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 fueling a 9-0 start in the final frame 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.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
