UP dominates Adamson, punches ticket to Filoil quarterfinals

UAAP The University of the Philippines wasted little time shaking off the effects of its overseas training camp, cruising to a 69-53 victory over Adamson University on Wednesday in the 19th Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup in San Juan.

Rey Remogat sparked a decisive fourth-quarter run, scoring 11 of his 14 points during a 22-point explosion that transformed a close 47-43 contest into a comfortable 68-51 advantage with just under a minute left.

The veteran guard also contributed seven assists and three rebounds as the Fighting Maroons extended their winning streak to four games in their first outing since returning from Canada.

UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde welcomed the win but stressed the need for consistency.

"It's not just about starting strong. We have to be consistent throughout the entire game, and that's something we still need to improve," Monteverde said.

Migs Palanca delivered a double-double off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Veejay Pre chipped in nine points, including five during UP's early surge.

The win completed the crossover quarterfinal lineup in the UAAP Group, joining National University (4-1), De La Salle University (4-1), and University of Santo Tomas (3-3), which had already secured playoff spots.

Adamson remained winless at 0-4 despite Ray Allen Torres' 18-point effort highlighted by five triples. Matty Erolon added 15 points on four three-pointers.

In the NCAA Group, both San Beda University and Mapua University relied on late-game heroics to notch crucial victories.

San Beda escaped with a dramatic 76-75 win over Arellano University after Jomel Puno completed an alley-oop connection from Dominic Sarigumba with one second left on the clock.

"The last play was designed for Jomel," said Red Lions coach Yuri Escueta. "Credit goes to Dom for the perfect pass and Kai Efron for the backpick. The players executed it really well."

Puno finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, and two assists as San Beda bounced back to improve to 6-1.

Bismarck Lina chipped in 11 points and six rebounds, helping the Red Lions overcome a quiet three-point shooting performance from Aldous Torculas.

T-Mc Ongotan scored 22 points and collected three steals for Arellano, which fell to 0-7 after another narrow defeat.

Mapua likewise needed a late basket to prevail, with Marc Igliane scoring on a putback with 5.8 seconds remaining to lift the Cardinals to an 85-83 win over Emilio Aguinaldo College.

Igliane posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, while MC Cuenco led Mapua with 21 points and four boards.

"It was a play drawn up for Cyrus, but Marcus got a good look and we were able to grab the offensive rebound. The rest is history," said Cardinals coach Chito Victolero. "It wasn't a pretty win, but we'll take it."

Fresh off his previous game-winning performance, Yam Concepcion added 11 points and nine rebounds, while rookie Jamal Diaz contributed 13 points as Mapua stretched its winning streak to four games and improved to 5-1.

EAC's Jude Bagay scored 17 points, but the Generals slipped to 4-4 as their three-game winning run came to an end.

Meanwhile, Jose Rizal University returned to the win column with a 78-69 victory over San Sebastian College-Recoletos.

Chris Hubilla once again led the Heavy Bombers, recording 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Allen Laurenaria added 13 points as JRU improved to 7-1.

Neil Castor paced the Golden Stags with 15 points, while Matthew Acosta contributed 14 points and five rebounds in the loss as San Sebastian dropped to 0-7.