Tired of being just a mere spectator in the playoff round, Michael Calisaan made sure he won’t let a golden opportunity slip away from his hands this time.
The 6-foot-4 Calisaan fired on all cylinders, draining 14 of his 22 attempts from the field, including five triples, none bigger than his last from the top of the key with 18.3 seconds to play that proved to be the dagger right into the Knights’ collective hearts.
“Talagang gustung-gusto ko manalo,” said Calisaan, who also added 10 rebounds for his finest performance in four years with the Golden Stags. “Ngayon lang ako nagkaroon ng pagkakataon na makapasok sa playoffs. Ganito pala kasarap ang feeling.”
Thanks to Calisaan’s game-long brilliance plus the timely buckets by guard Ryan Costelo down the stretch, San Sebastian clinched the fourth and final playoff spot while earning the right to face third-seeded Jose Rizal University in another knockout duel on Friday when the stepladder semifinal round gets going.
Letran, fresh from Friday’s thrilling 70-68 win over Arellano University, failed to advance to the playoffs for the second straight year under coach Jeff Napa after winning it all in 2015.
The spitfire Costelo also come up big with 13 points, nine of them coming in the final frame, and issued a pair of assists, the last setting up Calisaan for the wide-open triple after attracting the defense of Letran big man Jeo Ambohot and Jeremiah Taladua atop the key.
“This is the best birthday gift,” said San Sebastian coach Egay Macaraya, who celebrated his 56th birthday in style. “Hopefully this will be the start of something big for us. Deserving makapasok ang mga bata sa playoffs kasi they are working hard for it.”
Down by as many as nine points late in the third period, the Golden Stags charged back behind the exploits of Calisaan, Costelo and Alfren Gayosa to pull within 53-54 going to the final canto.
The Knights, however, responded on their own as pro-bound star Rey Nambatac finally came to life and joined hands with veterans Bong Quinto, JP Calvo and Ambohot in helping them gain control at 68-65, time down to just 2:25 left.
But Costelo fired back with a floater then Jayson David drive strong to the hole to give San Sebastian a one-point lead. A split by Quinto from the 15-foot line after a series of missed chances helped Letran tie things up anew for the seventh time at 69-all with 63 ticks remaining.
Then it was all Golden Stags. Costelo split the defense of Calvo and Ambohot from the top then drove hard for a high-looping floater the outstretched arms of Quinto that put them ahead again by two.
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