For many games, Neil Guarino was having trouble with his outside shooting.
This time around, the 17-year old Guarino made up for a missed triple with a quick put-back off teammate Neil Tolentino’s miss in the last 40 seconds on Tuesday evening in overtime at the Arena in San Juan.
His heroics proved to be one of the key moments in Squires’ dramatic 89-83 overtime upset of the La Salle Greenhills in the junior division of the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball tournament.
The 6’5 center went on to lead the Squires with 33 points, and in a game which decided their fate in the race for the Final Four semifinals.
“Bumalik na ang kumpiyansa ko. Kasi, nung past games, hindi ako maka-convert,” said Guarino.
His basket gave the Squires an 84-80 cushion in the ensuing play.
It was a disappointing loss for the Greenies, who led by as much as 21 points in the third period.
They enjoyed a 52-31 edge in the last 6:46 off Jacob Lao’s three-pointer.
“Hindi kami makaatake. Inaabangan nila ang lahat ng drives. Kaya sinabihan ko ang mga bata. Pag drive, i-kick out kay Guarino. At sabi ko Guarino, tira lang nang tira sa three-points. Kahit di pumasok, OK lang,” said Letran coach Raymund Valenzona.
That’s when Guarino made six of 12 three-point attempts, including two in the third period to lead a rally.
His first trey in the last 5:20 set the tone for the Squires’ comeback, 37-52.
Making 17 points in the third canto, Guarino capped this with a four-point play in the 1:34 mark, and Letran moved nearer by 12, 45-57.
In the fourth period, the Squires leaned on the triples of Guarino, Kurt Reyson and Stephen Tamayo during another big run that put them to within a point.
Two treys from Guarino and Reyson came with 40.8 seconds, allowing the Squires to move in front, 72-70.
Two freebies from Diego Morales and a drive off Cagulangan’s steal off Reyson in the last 13.7 seconds allowed LSGH to regain the upper hand, 75-72.
But, Guarino’s three-pointer with 7.4 seconds left, the tied the match in regulation, 75-all.
Reyson finished with 17 points while Tamayo and Tolentino had 12 and 11.
Joshua David and Joshua Marcos chipped in 9 and 8 for the Greenies.
–Scenario–
The Greenies, led by Joel Cagulangan with 33 points, finished the second round with 11 wins in 18 games, and their 11-7 win-loss record put in a tie for the third and fourth Final Four berth with the Squires.
The San Sebastian Staglets (10-7) can catch up if they hurdle the University of Perpetual Help Junior Altas on Thursday.
If this happens, a playoff for the third and fourth Final Four seats will take place.
The San Beda Red Cubs have a 12-5 slate, and they have climbed to no. 2.
They are now in a position to challenge the defending champion Malayan Red Robins, who 13-5 record.
Fred Segura struck with 22 points for the Arellano University Braves, who ambushed the Red Robins, 88-84, earlier in the day.
The Braves (7-10) are already out contention.
The Red Robins, powered by Mike Enriquez with 16 points, now await their fate, which lies in the outcome of the Red Cubs encounter with the Lyceum Junior Pirates on Thursday.
