Altas force 3-way tie as Stags stun Lions
Scottie Thompson churned out another triple-double performance as Perpetual Help outclassed Emilio Aguinaldo College, 89-59, yesterday to force a three-way logjam for the lead as San Beda took a stinging 92-98 setback to ousted San Sebastian in the 91st N
Thompson posted 10 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists as early as in the third quarter and went on to register a league-record seventh triple-double of the season and 10th in a five-year tour of duty with the Las Piñas-based squad.
More importantly, the reigning MVP’s feat helped Perpetual Help notch its fourth straight win and 11th overall against four losses to move up to joint first with the idle Letran Knights and the Red Lions.
San Beda took San Sebastian for granted and paid dearly for it, absorbing a six-point loss and missing keeping the solo lead heading to the homestretch of the double-round elims.
Bradwyn Guinto exploded with a game-high 26 points while Michael Calisaan added 21 markers as the Stags took charge in the first half, fell behind by one in the third period but fought back in the last 10 minutes to pound out the victory and improve to 5-10.
It was SSC’s first win over the reigning five-peat champion since the Stags defeated the Lions, 69-55, on Oct. 8, 2012.
San Sebastian’s victory also turned the semifinal race wide open.
“It was a good feeling beating them for the first time since I played here in 2013,” said Guinto, who was drafted by Mahindra in the recent PBA draft.
Perpetual Help coach Aric del Rosario said he doesn’t mind Thompson’s record-setting statistical feats as long as his team keeps on winning.
“I told him he’s the only one happy if he has a triple-double while a win makes all of us happy,” said del Rosario in Filipino.
Gerald Dizon also grabbed the spotlight in a lopsided contest as he came off the bench to fire a career-best 18 points, including four triples, to lead the Altas’ attack.
Dizon dropped nine points in the second quarter when the Altas started to pull away then unloaded another nine markers in the third as they built a huge 23-point lead. The Generals fell to 2-13. With the outcome beyond recall, a commotion ensued between Perpetual Help’s Nikolo Cabiltes and EAC’s Enjerico Diego, who were subsequently ejected with less than two minutes remaining in the game.
Diego’s teammate, Raymund Pascua, was also tossed out for putting up fighting stance.
In juniors’ play, the San Beda Cubs smashed the San Sebastian Staglets, 88-57, to remain undefeated in 15 outings while the Brigadiers edged the Altalettes, 73-72, to improve to 8-7.