PERPETUAL Help remained as the top dog in Group A of the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament with a 69-60 win over the Emilio Aguinaldo College at San Juan Arena on Wednesday.

The Altas followed up from their 71-65 win over Jose Rizal University on Saturday while also putting a stop to the Generals’ two-game win streak.

“Kailangan namin ng puhunan talaga, e,” coach Olsen Racela said.

“Kailangan din namin mag-ingat sa complacency lalu na’t may mga kalaban kami na mabibigat na teams. As long as we stick to our system, especially on the defensive end, we’ll be okay.”

The Altas led by three with 5:12 left in the fourth quarter, 60-57, before EAC’s Wilmar Oftana launched a long bomb to tie the game at 60-all, with 2:54 to go.

However, that would be the last gasp effort of the Generals as Perpetual Help went on a game-ending 9-0 run sparked by a John Abis short stab at the 2:38 mark of crunch time.

Abis finished two rebounds shy of a double-double with 15 points and eight rebounds. Mark Gojo Cruz (12) and JP Boral (10) also combined for 22 points in the win that kept the Altas well atop Group A with a 6-1 record.

Oftana’s 18-point outing was put to waste in EAC’s defeat that put them in a tie with Jose Rizal University (3-4) in Group B with an identical record.

The scores:

PERPETUAL HELP (69)  – Abis 15, Gojo Cruz 12, Boral 10, Nuñez 9, Sleat 7, Casinilio 5, Tulabut 4, Maglupay 3, Alcantara 2, Duremdes 2, Orgo 0, Pagulayan 0, Gelsano 0

EAC (60)  – Oftana 18, Lucero 12, Bagay 10, Quinal 5, Angeles 5, Castillo 4, Loristo 3, Ochavo 2, Omandac 1, Bacud 0, Shanoda 0, Tolentino 0

Quarterscores: 15-25, 37-38, 54-52, 69-60.