The San Sebastian Stags’ interior defense in the third period and their outside shooting in the fourth catapulted them to a 78-61 whipping of the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals on Friday in the 98th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the FilOil-EcoOil Center in San Juan.
Four-year veteran Alex Desoyo showed the way with 11 points for the Stags, who went on to post their third win in eight games.
The 24-year-old Desoyo came to life as he knocked in four points in the last period, joining hands for 17 points with Jessie Sumoda and Itchie Altamirano as the Stags bounced back from their 79-82 overtime loss to the Lyceum Pirates.
The Stags’ tough defensive stand in the shaded lane limited the Generals to 12 points in the third canto.
And as this happened, Desoyo’s putback with 3:52 left sparked a decisive 9-0 run, allowing the Stags to move away from a close 40-39 count into a 52-43 spread when the period was over.
“That was what I was telling them. We had chances to win. But it does not happen. Good thing they executed well, our defense worked, and we were making shots,” said Stags’ coach Egay Macaraya.
Sumoda and Rhinwill Yambing fired 10 points apiece for the Stags, who connected with six of 11 three-point attempts in the last period.
Liam Concha, Kenneth Villapando backed up Desoyo’s inside game with two triples, in the last 5:19, giving SSC enough room to pull away by 12, 64-52.
After that, four consecutive treys from James Una, Altamirano and Sumoda lifted the Stags to a 20-point edge before the game ended, 78-58, with 1:02 to go.
JP Magullano knocked in 19 points for the Generals, who absorbed their ninth straight setback.
