ARELLANO wasted no time putting San Sebastian in a hole, riding a blistering first half to cruise to a 98-72 victory in their NCAA Season 102 opener on Monday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
The Chiefs erupted for 61 points by halftime, building a commanding 25-point cushion that effectively set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
T-Mc Ongotan led the charge for the Chiefs, spearheading their offensive onslaught as Arellano kept the Golden Stags at bay throughout the second half.
From there, the Legarda squad put up a roadblock on Recto’s route to comeback.
San Sebastian tried to chip away at the deficit, but the damage had already been done in the opening 20 minutes as Arellano maintained control until the final buzzer.
“Siguro yun, nagbuno yung preparation namin. Although yung pre-season namin medyo marami mga injuries, kaya hindi kami makagalaw na maayos,” said head coach Chico Manabat.
“Now, after na ma-recover namin lahat yung mga injuries, ay nabuo sila. Ito yung gusto namin mangyari, yung mother league na namin, dito kami mag-perform,” the third-year tactician added.
Ongotan, who sat out most of the preseason with injuries, led the scoring barrage with 23 points, six assists, three steals, while Basti Valencia and Renzo Abiera also chipped in 12 markers apiece.
“Last season, gusto ko talagang makuha namin yung panalo. Kasi matagal na namin gusto ni Coach Chico yung first game namin manalo,” Ongotan uttered
“Kaya, yun yun nag-focus talaga ako, trinabaho ko talaga kung ano yung pinapagawa sa akin ni Coach.”
On the other hand, first-year head coach Rodney Santos found some positives in rookie Matt Acosta, who made an impressive debut with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, while fellow newcomer John Ynot also registered 13 points, three rebounds, and three steals.
The Scores:
AU 98 - Ongotan 23, Valencia 12, Abiera 12, Libang 9, Flores 8, Cabotaje 8, Vinoyq 6, Borromeo 4, Geronimo 4, Camay 3, Langit 3, Hernal 3, Manansala 3, Buenaventura 0, Anama 0
SSC-R 72 - Acosta 13, Ynot 13, Alforque 8, Ricio 8, Gabat 7, Castor 6, Cuya 4, Bacani 4, Salvo 4, Velasco 2, Cruz 2, Muktimar 1, Dimaunahan 0, Segovia 0, Chudian 0
Quarters: 34-22, 61-36, 76-55, 98-72
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