Hot Stags make it 3-for-3;

MANILA, Philippines — San Sebastian College sustained its sizzling start in the 87th NCAA basketball tournament by blasting the struggling University of Perpetual Help, 87-60, Monday for its third win and the early lead at The Arena in San Juan Monday.

The Stags shrugged off to a slow start and the absence of the injured Jonathan Semira as Calvin Abueva, Ronald Pascual and Ian Sangalang spearheaded a big second half assault en route to another runaway victory.

Role players like newcomer and former San Sebastian-Cavite guard Lyle Antipuesto, Dexter Maiquez and Michael Miranda also posted solid numbers as they responded to the challenge of new coach Topex Robinson.

In a surprising move, Robinson fielded them as starters along with Sangalang and Abueva.

For the third straight year, San Sebastian started the season with a perfect 3-0 mark but Robinson said the team has no plans of slowing down as it will take on Letran on July 20.

“We played with their (Perpetual) brand of basketball at the start but somehow we managed to adjust and played our own brand of basketball,” Robinson said.

The 6-foot-3 Abueva was three assists shy of completing a triple-double effort after he registered a career-best 31 points and 15 rebounds in 31 minutes. It was his 26th career double-double performance.

Pascual came off the bench to fire a career-high 29 points aside from grabbing six rebounds while Sangalang chipped in 10 points and five boards.

San Sebastian actually struggled at the start as Perpetual managed to force 15-all deadlock at the end of the first quarter and was just trailing by two, 29-27, with 2:56 left before halftime.

In one play, Semira went down awkwardly and was sent off to the locker room on a stretcher with an ankle injury. He never returned.

Meanwhile, three-peat seeking San Beda, with eight players scoring in double figures, hammered guest team Lyceum, 163-28, in the juniors division.

The Red Cubs dominated the Junior Pirates by taking a whopping 44-0 lead at the end of the first quarter before completing the first 100-point or more victory by a team since San Beda smashed Angeles University Foundation, 168-24, on Aug. 31, 2009.

Jonas Terrado, Manila Bulletin