Calisaan's career game helps Stags clinch last semis ticket

Games Friday (October 27)

(MOA Arena, Pasay)

11 a.m. – San Beda vs CSB (Jrs semis)

1 p.m. – Mapua vs Letran (Jrs semis)

3:30 p.m. – San Sebastian vs Jose Rizal (Srs)

MANILA, Philippines – Michael Calisaan found the right time to dish out the best game of his young life.

Unleashing a career game and hitting a clutch triple, Calisaan carried San Sebastian on his shoulders and turned back Letran, 74-69, on Tuesday to help the Stags catch the last bus to the stepladder semis in the 93rd NCAA basketball tournament at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

The scrawny, 6-6 Calisaan scored a season-high 36 points he laced with a booming, back-breaking 3-pointer in the stretch that sent the Stags to the semis and a knockout showdown with third seed Jose Rizal on Friday at the same venue.

“Gusto kong manalo ngayon at makapasok sa Final Four kasi sa apat na taon ko hindi pa ako nakakalaro doon (I want to win and enter the Final Four because in my four years, I haven’t played there),” said Calisaan, who added 10 rebounds.

It was the highest scoring output for Calisaan since firing 35 points two seasons ago.

Calisaan got a huge help from pocket-sized but big-hearted Ryan Costelo, who scattered 13 points, including nine in the fourth quarter.

It was also Costelo’s floater over the outstretch arm of a bigger Bong Quinto that shattered a 69-all deadlock and gave San Sebastian a 71-69 lead with 44.9 seconds to go.

Jeo Ambohot, who scored the game-winning putback in Letran’s 70-68 win over Arellano U in the knockout playoff Friday, misfired on a three, allowing San Sebastian’s Jim Calma to pluck the rebound.

Enter Calisaan.

The win was a fitting birthday gift for San Sebastian coach Egay Macaraya, who turned 51 Tuesday.

“Hope this will start something big for us because it really showed the team’s real character,” said Macaraya.

In junior’s action, St. Benilde-La Salle Greenhills claimed the last spot to the Final Four after it routed San Sebastian, 108-82.

The Junior Blazers thus forged a Final Four duel with the San Beda Cubs, who topped the elimination round to clinch the top seeding and the twice-to-beat edge, on Friday at the same venue.

No. 2 Mapua faces off with No. 3 Letran in the other semis pairing, needing just a win to advance to the best-of-three finals.

Jeremiah Taladua went on a 3-point shooting binge to help propel Letran to a 47-39 lead midway in the third canto.

But the Stags trimmed it to just a point at the end of the third quarter, 54-53, before RK Ilagan started the last period with a three-pointer to give his team a 56-54 edge.

The Stags started out strong and seized a 16-7 lead on a triple by Calisaan.

The Knights fought back and closed the opening quarter with a 9-2 exchange to cut their deficit to just two points, 18-16, at the end of the period.

It was the lead San Sebastian held entering the halftime break, 32-30.

The scores:

SAN SEBASTIAN 74 – Calisaan 36, Costelo 13, Ilagan 6, Navarro 6, Valdez 4, David 3, Gayosa 3, Bulanadi 2, Baetiong 1, Calma 0, Capobres 0, Mercado 0

LETRAN 69 – Taladua 16, Quinto 15, Calvo 11, Nambatac 11, Vacaro 8, Ambohot 3, Balanza 3, Balagasay 2, Mandreza 0, Gedaria 0

QUARTER SCORES: 18-16, 32-30, 53-54, 74-69