THE Arellano University Braves, the defending champion San Beda Red Cubs and the Mapua Red Robins fought off separate rivals Monday to move closer to Final Four semifinal slots in the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association Junior Basketball Tournament at the Arena in San Juan.
Veteran playmaker Guillmer dela Torre came off with 30 points as he helped carry the Braves to a 107-77 whipping of the Letran Squires, while Germy Mahinay showed the way with 12 points and rebounds for the Red Cubs in their 93-81 triumph over the University of Perpetual Help Junior Altas.
This handed the Braves and the Red Cubs their 12th triumph in 13 matches as they moved nearer a Final Four seat.
The Red Robins, led by Jasper Salenga with 19 points, drew four crucial free throws from transferee Bryan Samudio in the final minute to put away the Junior Pirates, 77-74.
This handed the Red Robins their 11th win in 13 matches as they stayed firmly in third place.
Meanwhile, the NCAA cracked the whip on three Letran players and one from San Beda for their involvement in the melee that happened in their last game at The Arena in San Juan City Friday.
Management Committee chair Jose Mari Lacson of San Beda said the league board upheld commissioner Andy Jao’s recommendation suspending Letran’s Jerrick Balanza, Chris Dela Pena and Marvin Sario and San Beda’s Antonio Bonsubre for one game.
The bench-clearing incident was triggered by the offensive foul called on Letran’s Bong Quinto for elbowing San Beda’s Jomari Presbitero with seven seconds left in the game eventually win by the Lions, 83-71.
Balanza then joined in by elbowing Presbitero in the face and was called a flagrant foul, which was later upgraded to a disqualifying foul leading to the one-game ban.
“Balanza, during deadball, hit the face of Presbitero. Sario and dela Pena entered the court. They did not do anything but obviously it didn’t look well and could exacerbate the situation and the tension,” said Jao.
Balanza, a starter, and the seldom used Dela Pena and Sario will thus miss Letran’s next game against winless St. Benilde at 4 p.m. today while Bonsubre will sit out in his team’s next outing versus Mapua on Thursday.
Games today
(The Arena, San Juan)
12 noon- San Sebastian vs LPU (srs)
2 p.m.- Jose Rizal vs EAC (srs)
4 p.m.- St. Benilde vs Letran (srs)
