Junior Altas rout Stags, secure Final 4 top seed

UNIVERSITY of Perpetual Help gave San Sebastian College a shooting clinic in an 111-80 rout on Sunday that sealed the former’s top seeding and the twice-to-beat Final Four incentive that went with it in NCAA Season 99 junior basketball at the Filoil EcoOil Arena in San Juan City.

The game produced a pair of scoring feats — the most points scored and the most scored in a quarter — a 45-point barrage in the third period — giving the Junior Altas their eighth win in nine outings, the No. 1 seed and the important semis bonus.

Most importantly, it pushed UPHSD closer to its ultimate goal — winning its breakthrough juniors crown.

Now the Junior Altas await their Final Four foe, which could possibly be the Stags, who dropped to No. 4 with a 6-3 record.

Defending champion Letran and Mapua, which own identical 6-2 marks, were playing their final elimination round game against separate rivals at press time and could end up at either No. 2 or No. 3.

Jan Pagulayan erupted for 25 points while Amiel Acido sizzled for 23 points on top of a mammoth 20-rebound effort. It was also the pair who spearheaded that devastating third quarter breakaway by combining for 28 points there.

Acido’s double-double performance put him in a strong position to battle for the MVP crown and possibly another Defensive Player of the Year plum to boot.

Slam-dunking Lebron Jhames Daep had some moments too before finishing with 16 points, nine boards and two blocks while Mark Gojo Cruz and Aries Borja chipped in 11 markers apiece.

In another result, Emilio Aguinaldo College trounced Jose Rizal University 63-47 to end its campaign with a 4-5 mark.

The Light Bombers wound up with a 3-6 slate.