Jose Rizal University bounced back strong from a tough loss, smothering San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 59-46, to notch its third win in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at the San Juan Arena.
Coming off a defeat to College of St. Benilde last Sunday, coach Nani Epondulan’s Heavy Bombers responded with renewed energy and defensive grit to improve their record to 3-2.
“Nirereiterate ko lang sa players namin na maliliit na kami, so hindi puwedeng ma-outhustle kami,” said Epondulan. “Kung merong mas gutom at mas aggressive, dapat kami ‘yon.”
Sean Salvador led the way for JRU with an explosive 22 points, while Justin Lozano added 11 in the wire-to-wire victory.
The Heavy Bombers’ trademark defense was in full display, holding the Golden Stags to just 46 points and preventing any San Sebastian player from scoring in double digits.
Jhuniel Dela Rama came closest for the Stags with nine points and 15 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from slipping to 1-4 in the standings.
