Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Perpetual Help relied on a triple-double effort by Earl Scottie Thompson and Bright Akhuetie’s late heroics as it turned back Jose Rizal, 86-83, in overtime on Tuesday (August 18) to finish third after the first round of the 91st National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.
In the second game, Arellano University used a strong fourth period to outlast San Beda Red Lions, 88-84.
Thompson had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 17 assists for his third triple-double performance this season and fifth in the last two years while Akhuetie poured in 10 of his game-high 31 points in the extra period as the Altas nailed their seventh victory against two defeats.
“They carried us in this game,” said Perpetual Help coach Aric del Rosario of the Thompson-Akhuetie duo.
Perpetual and San Beda are now tied at second place, while the Chiefs put the stranglehold on the third spot with a 6-3 card.
Dave Sanchez buried a booming triple late in regulation to knot it 73-all and eventually force overtime after Akhuetie missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer.
Akhuetie though made up for it by taking charge in overtime when he made the baskets that helped the Las Pinas-based dribblers seal the win.
Thompson had the chance to finish Arellano U off in regulation had he made both his free throws that would have given Perpetual a four-point cushion.
But Thompson split his charities, paving the way for that Sanchez game-tying, overtime-forcing trey with 1.2 ticks remaining.
Tey Teodoro paced his team with 28 points while Paolo Pontejos and Sanchez chipped in 14 and 11, respectively, but Jose Rizal just couldn’t find a way to stop Thompson and Akhuetie in the end.
The Bombers fell to 5-4 (win-loss).
