MANILA – Adalem-St. Clare Saints reached the semifinals of the 2022 PBA D-League Aspirants Cup after a 90-87 escape over Builder’s Warehouse-UST Tigers in the do-or-die quarterfinals on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Down 59-62 early in the fourth, the Saints forced the Tigers to several turnovers that led to baskets by John Rojas, Gab Gamboa, Joshua Fontanilla and Babacar Ndong for a 74-63 lead.
The Tigers responded with six straight points from Bryan Santos to cut the deficit to six points but the Saints had a quick response from Fontanilla and Rojas to increase the lead back to 80-69.
UST did not surrender as conversions from Kean Baclaan and Sherwin Concepcion cut the deficit to 88-83 but an uncontested dunk by Ndong widened St. Clare’s lead to 90-83 with under a minute left.
The Tigers made its last push on back-to-back baskets by Nicael Cabañero and Baclaan to trim the deficit to 87-90. UST had a chance to force an overtime but Baclaan misfired his triple try.
Johnsherick Estrada finished with 20 points to go with five rebounds and three assists, while Jolo Sumagaysay added 14 markers, including three outside shots, for the Saints.
Fontanilla haunted his former school UST with 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Gamboa and Rojas chipped in 12 each, while Ndong has double-double 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Saints.
The Jinino Manansala-mentored Saints will enter the best-of-three semifinals round against the no.2 seed EcoOil-De La Salle University Green Archers beginning on Friday.
“Hindi namin nagustuhan ‘yung ending pero nagtiwala lang ang mga players na kaya nilang manalo against UST,” said Manansala, who handled the Tigers in the recent UAAP season.
Cabañero top-scored for the Tigers with 19 points, Baclaan, Concepcion and Miguel Pangilinan had 17, 15 and 13 markers, respectively, while Santos had double-double 12 points and 12 rebounds.
BOX SCORE:
ST. CLARE 90 — Estrada 20, Sumagaysay 14, Fontanilla 12, Gamboa 12, Rojas 12, Ndong 10, Lopez 6, Sablan 4, Estacio 0.
UST 87 — Cabañero 19, Baclaan 17, Concepcion 15, Pangilinan 13, Santos 12, Mantua 5, Manalang 4, Manaytay 2, Crisostomo 0, Herrera 0.
Quarterscores: 24-14, 37-35, 59-57, 90-87./PN
