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COACH Ariel Vanguardia has steered Jose Rizal University to something it hasn’t done in four years – defeat San Beda College.

Living up to their monicker, the Heavy Bombers bombarded the Red Lions with a barrage of triples to post a stunning 79-74 upset win in the 84th NCAA men’s basketball competition last July 23, 2008 at the Pasay Astrodome.

John Wilson, playmaker Marc Cagoco and Jay-R Bulangis stepped up from beyond the arc as the Heavy bombers hit a season-high 13 triples to deal the reigning back-to-back champions their first loss in six outings.

“It feels great to beat the defending champions. I was 0-4 against San Beda since I took over in 2006, and at least I finally won one,� said Vanguardia, who replaced coach Cris Calilan in 2006.

Slotman JR Sena, who led JRU with 18 points on 8-of-21 shooting from the field to go along with 13 rebounds, took care of business in the opening quarter after firing three baskets to give his squad a one-point edge, 15-14.

“We just worked hard and we did not notice that the game was close,� said Sena. “We just saw it during the final minute but everybody stayed together and worked until we got the win.�

Cagoco, who also had 18 points on 6-of-18 shooting from three-point land, waxed hot towards the end of the second quarter when he converted two straight triples that helped JRU bridge the gap to two at the end of the first half.

The third year playmaker from Davao, however, kept on firing away from rainbow country in the third period, including a crucial trey that handed the Bombers the lead at 54-52 after trailing by as much as eight points.

The 5-foot-8 PBL veteran buried yet another shot from beyond the arc, sparking a 7-2 run to put the Mandaluyong outfit in front, 61-54, with 6:51 left in the game.

Swingman Ogie Menor, who poured in 16 points, forced a three-point play with 2:10 left that knotted the count at 69, capping off a 7-0 Red Lion run. But Sena scored on an undergoal stab before Wilson nailed a crucial triple to give JRU a 74-69 lead with 1:26 to go.

Borgie Hermida kept the game close by making two free throws, 74-71, with 36 ticks left. But Wilson silenced the San Beda faithful after firing another triple with 14 seconds left to extend his team’s cushion to 77-71.

JRU went into a frenzy after clinching its third straight win after losing its first two. The victory over San Beda was the Bombers’ first since a 74-71 triumph on August 16, 2004, at the Makati Coliseum. No single current Heavy Bomber or Red Lion participated in that game.

Menor and Pong Escobal topscored for the Red Lions with 16 points each while Hermida added 10. Center Sam Ekwe added eight points and 11 rebounds.

The Heavy Bombers surprisingly collared more rebounds than the tall Red Lions, 52-43. They had 26 offensive boards as against the champions’ eight, which resulted to more second chance points (20-8).

JRU also had more assists than San Beda, 24-16.

Individual Scores:

JRU 79 – Cagoco 18, Sena 18, Wilson 9, Bulangis 9, Nocom 8, Kabigting 7, Hayes 6, Njei 4, Almario 0, Agas 0, Pradas 0.

San Beda 74 – Menor 16, Escobal 16, Hermida 10, Ekwe 8, Lanete 8, Gamalinda 6, Taupa 4, Taganas 3, Pascual 3, Tirona 0, Marcelo 0.

Quarter scores: 15-14; 35-37; 54-52; 79-74

Tags: Ariel-Vanguardia, Jose-Rizal-University-Heavy-Bombers, NCAA-Season-84, Petron, San-Beda-Red-Lions

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