Perpetual Junior Altas star Lebron Jhames Daep. Photo handout/NGBL

MANILA — University of Perpetual Help System DALTA remained unbeaten to advance to the first-ever Next Generation Basketball League (NGBL) Finals.

The Junior Altas pulled away in the second half against the University of the East en route to a 90-76 win, Saturday morning at the Tanduay Gym in Manila.

Lebron Jhames Daep flexed his might in the NCAA-UAAP clash, with the 6-foot-7 do-it-all big man delivering his best outing in the tournament to the tune of 25 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and an assist.

READ: NU-Mapua, Perpetual-UE tussle for spots in NGBL Finals

"My numbers are just the results ng pag i-improve namin araw-araw sa training," said Daep of his stellar showing in the knockout semifinals.

"Sinasabi kasi samin ni coach Joph [Cleopas] na yung games, darating naman yan. Ang unang kalaban talaga namin ay yung mga sarili namin. Doon nagsisimula yung tunay na laban, so doon po ako nagpalakas kaya nasasanay na po ako dito," he added. 

Much like Daep, also manifesting their prowess against the Junior Warriors were Icee Calangan, Jim Corpuz, and Jan Roluna.

Calangan and Corpuz each contributed 13 points and two three-pointers, while Roluna was the fourth Perpetualite who finished in double digits with 10. This also extended the tournament-best win streak of Cleopas' troops to nine. 

Only ahead by four, 44-40, after the first half, the Las Piñas-based squad turned the heat up in the third period after Daep, Calangan, Kurt Velasquez, and JD Pagulayan drained one three-pointer each to help build a 60-49 cushion.

An emphatic slam by Daep with only 38 seconds left in the same quarter pushed UPHSD's lead to 15, 69-54, and the son of former PBA player Rommel Daep continued his onslaught in the fourth with two triples for a 78-61 advantage at the 7:18 mark. 

Jean Bana tried to put some life back into UE's campaign by bringing the Junior Warriors to within 13 with still three minutes left after a jam and a split from the 15-foot-stripe, but that was the nearest that they could get as Jericho Cristino, Roluna, and Calangan answered with a seven-to-nothing spurt to post their biggest advantage, 90-70. 

The Junior Altas will rekindle their NGBL opening game showdown against National University-Nazareth School in the Finals for the all-or-nothing Php 300,000 cash prize this Saturday at the MGC Gym in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. 

Perpetual previously defeated the Bullpups, 75-74, after a fourth-quarter surge that was capped by a buzzer-beater by Roluna to win the game.

On the other hand, Lance Sabroso led UE with 16, while supporting him were Kristofer Lagat and John Alejandro who scored 13 and 12, respectively. 

The Scores:

Perpetual 90 — Daep 25, Calangan 13, Corpuz 13, Roluna 10 Pagulayan 9, Tabbuan 6, Rosales 5, Cristino 4, Velasquez 3, Borja 2, Nitura 0, Zanoria 0, Baldoria 0.

UE 76 — Sabroso 16, Lagat 13, Alejandro 12, Aguas 9, Bana 8,  Almanza 7, Lorenzo 4, Timbol 3, Roquid 2, Bual 2, Diaz 0.

Quarterscores: 24-24, 44-40, 72-56, 90-76.