A. Semerad's 3rd qtr blitz helps Red Lions rout Chiefs

Anthony Semerad’s third-quarter explosion in cruising to a 92-57 rout of upset-conscious Arellano in the 86th NCAA men’s basketball tournament on Wednesday at The Arena in San Juan City.

San Beda collected its sixth straight win to gain a share of the lead with defending champion San Sebastian.

The Red Lions played loose in the first half and allowed the Chiefs, who are hoping to score a monumental upset, in dictating the tempo of the match.

Arellano surprised San Beda in the second period where Andrian Celada and rookie Rocky Acidre went on a shooting spree to power the Chiefs to a 39-27 halftime bubble.

The Chiefs held the Lions probably to their lowest output in the first half, even forcing their opponents to commit 16 turnovers which was translated to 20 points by the Leo Isaac-mentored squad.

But San Beda, a former three-time champion and had already collected 14 men’s basketball titles, tightened up its defense and unleashed its furious running game in the third quarter to turn that 12-point deficit to a 58-50 advantage entering the fourth period.

From there, the Lions did not slow down and stepped up on the gas pedal in the final canto to pull away from the Chiefs.

“They (Arellano) outran and out played us in the second half and I made them realize we’re not playing our game, which is running and running," said San Beda coach Frankie Lim. “I’m glad they turned on the switch in the second half."

Semerad erupted for 20 points, including 10 in the third, where San Beda began its scoring binge. He also grabbed 10 rebounds.

Rome Dela Rosa contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Dave Marcelo chipped in 16 markers, 14 boards and five blocks. Borgie Hermida tallied 11 points, eight caroms, eight assists and three steals.

Celada was the lone double-digit scorer for the Chiefs with 16 points.

Credits: gmanews.tv

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