COUNT on Joel Cagulangan to rescue CSB-La Salle Greenhills in dire situations.
Last season's Finals MVP anchored the Greenies' furious finishing kick to take the 86-71 victory over Jose Rizal High School in the NCAA Season 94 juniors basketball tournament Tuesday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
Cagulangan accounted for 17 points in CSB-LSGH's 24-0 final flurry to turn a 71-62 deficit with 6:01 to play and blanking the Light Bombers in the endgame to take the 15-point victory.
He finished with 36 points, going 7 for 16 from downtown, to go with six rebounds, six assists and four steals as the league-leading Greenies improved to a 15-2 record.
Joshua David contributed 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal, while RC Calimag got 12 points and eight boards.
Inand Fornilos didn't do much damage on offense, scoring only two, but grabbed 11 rebounds and rejected one shot, while Mark Sangco had seven points, nine boards and three blocks.
Thomas Vasquez led JRU with 16 points and two rebounds, as main man John Amores was held to just seven points and four assists.
The loss locked the Final Four-bound Light Bombers to the four-seed, thanks to their 11-7 card.
The scores:
CSB-LSGH 86 - Cagulangan 36, David 15, Calimag 12, Sangco 7, Mosqueda 5, Cortez 3, Fornilos 2, Lao 2, Lepalam 2, Morales 2, Palencia 0, Arciaga 0, Lopez 0.
JRU 71 - Vasquez 16, Macatangay 10, Icban 10, Dionisio 9, Amores 7, Mangio 7, Mendoza 4, Delos Santos 4, Bucoy 2, Sy 2, Fortuna 0, Baluyot 0, Ganut 0, Garcia 0.
Quarterscores: 15-23; 36-37; 57-60; 86-71.
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