OLIVAREZ College and Technological Institute of the Philippines continued their winning ways in the Sta. Lucia Land-NCRAA men’s basketball tournament by scoring contrasting victories, even as New Era pulled off a huge upset in the first game of 2018 at the TIP Gym.
New Era University stunned last season’s runner-up De Ocampo Memorial College, 73-71, to barge into the win column.
Trailing by five entering the final two-minute mark, the Hunters unleashed a telling 7-0 run to complete the come-from-behind victory.
Jeff Comia and Richard Velchez conspired in that blistering rally that allowed the Hunters to barge into the win column.
Comia led all scorers with 25 points and seven assists, while Velchez, who stepped up in the second half, finished with a double-double of 14 points and 12 boards to go with four blocks.
Also pulling off a similar hard-earned win was Olivarez College, which outlasted St. Francis of Assisi College, 60-54.
It was the second straight win by Olivarez College, which joined host Technological Institute of the Philippines on top of the standings of Group A.
TIP blasted University of Luzon, 62-52, in the other game.
Leading the way for Olivarez was the hot-shooting Jayboy Solis, who scattered 18 markers. He was backed up by John Uduba with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Uduba hit all of his five shots from the field as Olivarez College’s inside-out game was enough to outplay St. Francis.
PSBA dumped Asian Institute of Maritime Studies, 86-66.
