By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The University of Perpetual Help System DALTA pulled off its most impressive come-from-behind win of the post-season after overcoming a 19-point deficit to stun the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Squires, 91-90, in Game 2 of the NCAA Season 99 Juniors Basketball Finals on March 20, 2024, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
With the confidence-boosting victory, Perpetual Help just equalized the finals series at 1-1 and forced a do-or-die Game 3 rubber match for all the marbles.
After receiving a punch in the mouth during their lopsided Game 1 loss, Perpetual Help looked to bounce back and were aggressive in crashing the boards but the composed Letran squad had other plans and frustrated the hoopers in red with their unstoppable paint attack led by George Diamante.
Diamante, a member of the Mythical Team First Five selection, schooled the Perpetual frontcourt with his veteran presence and out-positioned them in every rebound.
With Diamante leading the way and the Letran shooters locked and loaded, Perpetual was once again on the brink of elimination when they trailed by as much as 19 points in the second quarter, 57-38.
However, Perpetual woke up with only three minutes left in the second frame and countered back with a much-needed offensive avalanche that trimmed their deficit to just nine heading into the second half, 59-50.
That second-quarter scoring spurt then took them to heights in the second half as they consistently piled up the points, capping off a tremendous offensive performance with a 21-2 run.
Perpetual’s Jhames Daep then officially put Perpetual back after his huge three-pointer forced a 59-all deadlock.
After the sequence, both teams would engage in a physical nip-and-tuck affair as no squad was able to fully take control of the game.
It then all came down in the last minute of the game as newly crowned Most Valuable Player (MVP) Amiel Acido gave Perpetual the lead after draining a cold-blooded trey, 91-90.
Unfortunately, Perpetual was whistled for a technical foul due to taunting which gave Letran the chance to tie the game at 91-all.
Perpetual then survived its mental breakdown after Letran missed the charity bonus. With five seconds left and the score still stagnant at 91-90, the Squired found a golden opportunity to retake the lead after Syrex Silorio was fouled on a floater attempt.
With the whole Perpetual crowd standing in his way with loud cheers and distractions, Silorio had a nightmare trip to the free throw line after missing both of his shots that would’ve put them back in the driver’s seat.
Jan Pagulayan led all scorers in the game with 23 big points and 10 rebounds while Acido added 19 markers including the go-ahead triple that gave them the lead.
Both teams will return to the hardwood on March 23, 2024, as they play out their win-or-go-home Game 3 finals.
Will Perpetual complete the reverse sweep or will Letran repeat as the NCAA Juniors hoops kings?
