Seldom-used Jan Roluna recorded a crucial double-double to lead the Perpetual Junior Altas to a 96-91 win over the Mapua Robins on Sunday at the FilOil EcoOil Center in San Juan City and into a first-time appearance in the finals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Juniors’ Basketball Tournament.
Roluna tallied a career-high 22 points, to go with 11 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals to lead Perpetual to the finals for the first time in the team’s 40 years in the league.
Center LeBron Daep provided the other scoring punch for the Las Pinas-based team by also scoring 22 points, to go with 6 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks, while presumptive MVP Amiel Acido contributed 20 points, 6 boards, 5 assists and a steal.
Roluna scored 12 in the fourth, including a three-point play that sealed the win for the Junior Altas in the final 1:01.
High-flying guard Mark Gojo Cruz also contributed 11 points, 5 boards and 5 assists.
The Junior Altas also surpassed their last Finals Four finish in Season 86 under coach Tonichi Pujante with players Gelo Alolino, Axel Iñigo, Mark Bitoy, Flash Sadiwa and Joel Brito.
A crowd of over 1,000 cheered the Junior Altas, who only needed two wins in the finals to seal a berth in the final round of basketball, the only sports discipline, where the school has not been champions.
They will face in the championship game, the defending champion Letran Squires, who returned to the finals by defeating the San Sebastian College Staglets, 91-77.
The Perpetual Junior Altas and Letran Squires face off in Game 1 on March 16.