MANILA – San Beda University powered through San Sebastian College-Recoletos, securing an 85-75 victory in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 100 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday (14 Sept 2024) at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
Rookie sensation Bryan Sajonia led the charge with a career-high 26 points, 14 of which came in the decisive fourth quarter. Sajonia also contributed eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block to help the Red Lions improve their record to 2-1.
Team captain Yulkien Andrada provided crucial support, sinking five three-pointers and finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds. The defensive effort of San Beda proved effective, limiting San Sebastian’s key players, Rafael Are and Tristan Felebrico, to just nine points each.
“We did a good job controlling their fastbreaks and second-chance points,” said San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta. Despite the victory, Escueta expressed concern over the team’s free-throw performance, as they converted only 15 of 38 attempts.
“We’ve been working on it in practice, but the pressure of a live NCAA game is different. You can’t replicate the atmosphere in practice where nobody’s watching,” Escueta added.
For the Stags, Reggz Gabat put up 19 points and three rebounds, while Raymart Escobido chipped in 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. The loss drops San Sebastian to 1-1 after their thrilling 95-93 victory against Lyceum earlier in the week.
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