Adeogun, Lions get back at Blazers, bag solo lead

Games tomorrow (The Arena, San Juan)

12 noon. – Arellano U vs Perpetual Help (jrs/srs)

4 p.m. – Jose Rizal vs Lyceum (srs/jrs)

MANILA, Philippines - San Beda used Nigerian behemoth Ola Adeogun as a wrecking ball as it got back at first round conqueror St. Benilde with 78-54 rout to seize the solo lead in the 90th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City yesterday.

The bullstrong Adeogun imposed his will all game and finished with his season-high 28 points, half of them coming from the free throw line, as the Lions zoomed to the top with a 10-2 (win-loss) record, half a game ahead of the idle Arellano U Chiefs (9-2).

It was a dominating performance by the 6-8 Adeogun as he also plucked a game-best 16 rebounds and topped it with two blocks in helping San Beda avenge a painful 76-83 defeat to St. Benilde in the first round on July 28.

“Ola came into this game wanting no less than a win, we all saw how determined he is in this game,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez.

Adeogun also served as the backbone of San Beda’s almost impenetrable interior defense as it held St. Benilde to just 54 points this time after the latter torched the former with 83 points the last time these two teams met.

The Lions also neutralized Blazers captain Mark Romero, who was held to his season-low five points after he erupted for 20 in their first encounter.

“We were disappointed of ourselves for allowing them to score that much against us in our first meeting so we made sure it would not happen again this time,” said Fernandez, whose team boasts of the league’s top defense by holding down foes to 66.7 points, the only under the 70-point mark.

Baser Amer provided the offensive spark late as he fired eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter to quash St. Benilde’s endgame uprising.

Adeogun’s inside forays also opened things up for the Lions as they buried 10 of 22 booming triples including three from seldom-used Von Adam Abatayo as against the Blazers’ woeful 7-of-19 three-point shooting clip.

In juniors’ action, the Greenies brought down the Cubs with a shock 70-59 win to boost their Final Four stock.