PERPETUAL Help went to the troika of Prince Eze, Gab Dagangon and Jeff Coronel in overtime as it turned back Letran, 88-82, in overtime yesterday to fan its Final Four hopes in the 93rd NCAA basketball tournament at the Filoil Arena in San Juan City.
Eze, Dagangon and Coronel made the biggest plays in OT by combining for 12 of their team’s 13 points there to power the Altas to their fourth win against six defeats while keeping their Final Four hopes alive.
More importantly, the Las Pinas-based school moves just one game behind Letran, which fell to (5 wins, 5 losses).
Eze, the leading MVP candidate after the first round, had 21 points and 19 rebounds, while Dagangon and Coronel had 21 and 10 points, respectively.
“We knew we still have a chance of making the Final Four and I’m glad the players are determined to get this win,” said Jimwell Gican, who has officially assumed the head coaching job after Nosa Omorogbe went on an indefinite leave.
The Altas had a chance to put the game away in regulation but Coronel split his charities and Letran’s Bong Quinto drained a booming triple with 4.4 seconds to go to force extra time.
It turned out the Knights’ last show of force as Eze, Dagangon and Coronel took charge from there.
GJ Ylagan chipped in 18 points including four three-pointers.
Meanwhile, the NCAA Management Committee yesterday upheld the decision suspending San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez and player Robert Bolick for their misconduct in the Lions’ 72-58 win over the St. Benilde Blazers Tuesday.
“The suspension stays,” said Mancom chair Fr. Glyn Ortega, OAR, of host San Sebastian yesterday.
Bolick was suspended for an elbow he threw after a flagrant foul by St. Benilde’s Carlo Young with less than three minutes to go in their game that led to his ejection and eventually the one-game suspension.
Fernandez, for his part, was sacked for disrespecting officials for the second time.
Young was also suspended.
San Beda didn’t appeal the suspension of its rookie transferee Clint Doliguez, who was suspended for bench clearing.
The suspension disqualified the players from winning individual awards.
Bolick is running sixth in the MVP race.
Fernandez, Bolick and Doliguez will serve their suspension when the Lions take on the Mapua Cardinals at 12 noon today.
San Beda assistant coach JB Sison will temporarily handle the coaching reins in Fernandez’s absence.