By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
HALTED losing streaks last time around, the San Sebastian Stags and Perpetual Help Altas seek to stay winning when they collide against each other in National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 action today at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Set for 2 p.m., the Stags (3-3) and Altas (3-5) are out to build on their victories in their last outings which swung them back into the win column. San Sebastian was a 102-101 overtime victor over the Letran Knights on Aug. 20 while the Altas held on to beat the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 88-87, also on the same date.
Other games set for today are the battle between league-leaders San Beda Red Lions (7-0) and College of Saint Benilde Blazers (5-1) at 12 noon and Lyceum Pirates (6-2) against the Arellano Chiefs (1-6) at 4 p.m.
In their last game against the Knights, the Stags dug deep as they played undermanned down the stretch with six players fouling out, including top man RK Ilagan. They also played sans coach Egay Macaraya, who served a one-game league-imposed suspension.
San Sebastian lost a 17-point lead in the fourth period and was stretched to overtime by Letran but did just enough in extra time to book the win.
Allyn Bulanadi, Ken Villapando and Alvin Capobres stepped up in overtime for the Stags, creating the big plays on both ends to carry their team over the Knights.
Ilagan led the Stags with 22 points before fouling out with Bulanadi adding 21 points and Capobres 19.
“The players just showed tremendous hunger to win in this game. They did not want to lose. This is a good confidence boost for us after losing three straight,” said San Sebastian assistant coach Melo Banua, who took over for Mr. Macaraya, in the vernacular after their win.
The win stopped for the Stags a three-game losing streak.
PERPETUAL HELP
Perpetual Help, on the other hand, had control of the contest for much of the time against EAC but had to hold on tight in the end against a gallant stand from the Generals who kept fighting all the way to the end.
Rey Peralta led the way for Perpetual Help (3-5) with 19 points, followed by JJ Egan with 16 and Kim Aurin 14.
The Altas, with the win, got back to winning after dropping their two previous matches.
Altas won the game without head coach Frankie Lim, who was on indefinite leave following the 46-point shellacking they absorbed at the hands of San Beda in the game prior.
Juniors coach Myk Saguiguit held the fort in the absence of Mr. Lim in their last game.
But Mr. Lim is set to return to the sidelines today for his team’s final assignment in the opening round of Season 95 of the country’s oldest collegiate league.
