San Beda stays unbeaten; Ateneo, SSC gain quarters

MANILA, Philippines - San Beda College outlasted reigning titlist Hope Christian High School in a battle of undefeated teams even as Ateneo and San Sebastian booked their slots in the quarterfinals of the 2nd Philippine Secondary Schools Basketball Championship (PSSBC) held over the weekend at the Chiang  Kai Shek College gym in Manila.

The Red Cubs, proud owners of 21 NCAA titles, leaned heavily on their torrid start anchored on rock-solid defense and impressive perimeter sniping to beat Hope Christian, 77-70, and move a win away from sweeping the six-team Group B elims.

“Our strong start gave us enough buffer heading into the second half. It’s a good win but this is just the elimination round and the real battle has yet to happen,” said San Beda coach JV Sison.

The Eaglets, drawing inspired game from Aaron Black, clinched the third semis berth in Group B by repulsing La Salle-Zobel, 82-78, in a win that negated Renzo Sumido’s conference-high 37 points.

With the win, the Eaglets tied Hope Christian for second to third places at 3-1 in the tournament sponsored by MEC Computer,  Hapee Toothpaste, Welcoat Paints, Dickies Underwear, Jumbo Plastic Linoleum, Wrangler, Ironcon Builders, Ever Bilena, Davies Paint and Spray & Seal Tire Sealant.

The Staglets, on the other hand, rode on the clutch shooting of Regille Kent Ilagan and Ryan Costelo to claim a 69-68 win over Mapua and bag the first quarterfinals seat in Group A.