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SAN SEBASTIAN COLLEGE-Recoletos reran its first round encounter against Jose Rizal University to perfection.

The Stags launched yet another comeback and thwarted their opponents’ own attempt in the endgame to carve out a 52-47 victory – their seventh in a row – in the 84th NCAA men’s basketball tournament last August 27, 2008 at the Pasay Astrodome.

Despite not having any players score in double-digits, San Sebastian managed to quell a late Jose Rizal uprising with second-stringers Gilbert Bulawan and Froilan Saquillo leading the Stags’ assault, and in the process helping their squad tie the Heavy Bombers for the number 3 spot at 8-4 with two games to spare.

The Heavy Bombers dropped a blazing 7-0 blast capped by swingman John Wilson’s five points to come within a solitary point with 1:43 to go in the game, 47-48. But JRU failed to make use of its final possession thanks to a botched field goal attempt.

“We could not run in the first quarter and we’re relying heavily on set plays so we only shot 26 percent,” said San Sebastian mentor Jorge Gallent. “When we started running in the second half, our offense started to work.”

The Stags erased a 35-40 deficit with a 13-0 run and a Jim Viray basket with 2:39 left on the clock to seize the edge, 48-40, before the Heavy Bombers unleashed their own run.

Rookie Raymond Maconocido, who had seven points, made two free throws off a Jay-R Bulangis foul to give San Sebastian a 50-47 lead with 13 seconds left. JRU tried to extend the game into overtime but Wilson’s three-point attempt fell short.

Gallent’s wards forced the Heavy Bombers to commit 17 turnovers, which resulted in 11 points. They managed to offset a -13 rebounding disadvantage (48-35) thanks in part to a +6 advantage in fastbreak points.

Bulawan and Saquillo led San Sebastian with eight points each, while Jimbo Aquino netted seven. Jason Ballesteros, one of the contenders for MVP this season, tallied 16 rebounds and swatted three shots on top of two points.

JR Sena poured in 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Heavy Bombers, who also lost to the Stags in the first round, 54-57, in similar fashion.

The scores:

San Sebastian 52 – Bulawan 8, Saquillo 8, Aquino 7, Maconocido 7, Viray 7, del Rio 6, Raymundo 4, Semira 2, Ballesteros 2, Zulueta 1, Bringas 0, Najorda 0.

JRU 47 – Sena 16, Wilson 10, Cagoco 8, Hayes 5, Njei 4, Bulangis 2, Nocom 2, Agas 0, Kabigting 0, Lopez 0, Montemayor 0, Pradas 0.

Quarter scores: 6-11; 18-26; 33-38; 52-47

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