Red Lions Topped Elims with an 11-3 Mark
Playmaker Borgie Hermida scored a tear-drop shot at the buzzer to help defending champion San Beda College beat archrival Letran in overtime, 65-63, to clinch the top spot in the Final Four of the 84th NCAA men’s basketball tournament last night at the Araneta Coliseum.
Hermida’s endgame heroics came after the Knights’ RJ Jazul tied the scored at 63-all with 6.2 seconds left in the extra period.
The 5-foot-7 Hermida then took matters in to his own after receiving the leather from Ogie Menor, he sliced through the defense of Letran and nailed the winning basket that erupted a wild celebration among the men in ‘red’.
“Hat's off to Borgie (Hermida), he made this exciting shot. He was struggling in the first half but he stepped up down the stretch,” said San Beda coach Frankie Lim.
The Red Lions finished the elimination with an 11-3 mark, and will have a week-long rest before plunging to action in the semifinals.
The Knights, on the other hand, fell in a four-way tie for second.
Letran joined San Sebastian CollegeRecoletos, Mapua and Jose Rizal University all holding 9-5 cards.
The four squads will entangle in the stepladder playoffs to determine the last three semifinalists starting Monday, with SSC facing JRU, Mapua against Letran.
The winners will dispute in another playoff the No. 2 seat and the second twice-to-beat incentive. The losing team will earn the No. 3 seat. The No. 4 slot will be disputed in knockout game by the losing teams from the first two playoff matches.
San Beda sent the game into extra period when Hermida split his charities off a Kirk del Rosario foul, with 17.9 ticks in regulation.
Pong Escobal had 15 points and four assists while Hermida added 14 markers for the Red Lions.
Jazul finished with 18 points while Dino Daa contributed 10 points, five rebounds and three assists for the Knights.
The scores:
San Beda (65) – Escobal 15, Hermida 14, Menor 8, Gamalinda 7, Tirona 7, Taganas 6, Ekwe 4, Pascual 4, Marcelo 0.
Letran (63) – Jazul 18, Daa 10, Del Rosario 9, Cortes 8, Melegrito 6, Guevarra 5, Ranises 4, Dangcal 3, Foronda J. 0, Foronda C. 0, Gutilban 0.
QS: 9-20; 23-30; 39-42; 54-54; 65-63.
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