Renz Villegas saved the day for the Lyceum Pirates as they earned a thrilling 78-77 victory over the San Sebastian Golden Stags in their NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament matchup last Friday evening.
The Pirates faced adversity early in the contest after head coach Jamike Jarin was ejected in the second quarter following his second technical foul.
Lyceum also lost team captain Genesis Aviles, who was stretchered off the court with an apparent knee injury after driving to the basket with 6:36 remaining in the third quarter.
Despite those setbacks, Lyceum found its rhythm after halftime, opening the third period with an 11-3 run to create separation from San Sebastian. The Pirates eventually established a double-digit advantage before carrying a 63-58 lead into the final quarter.
San Sebastian refused to surrender, however, and gradually worked its way back into contention by attacking the paint and capitalizing on opportunities at the free-throw line.
San Sebastian Rallies to Take Late Lead
The Golden Stags continued their comeback in the fourth quarter, cutting Lyceum’s advantage and eventually tying the contest at 73-all after Niel Castor connected from beyond the arc.
The Pirates responded with crucial free throws from Roger Ondoa and Mac Guadaña to move ahead, 76-73. But Ralph Gabat kept San Sebastian’s hopes alive, completing an and-one play before adding to his personal scoring run to put the Golden Stags in front, 77-76, with approximately five seconds remaining.
With their first victory of the season within reach, San Sebastian needed just one more defensive stop to complete the comeback.
Villegas Sinks Game Winner for Lyceum
Lyceum turned to Villegas in the closing seconds, and the guard delivered when it mattered most.
After receiving the ball along the baseline, he rose for a mid-range jumper that found the basket with just 1.1 seconds remaining, restoring the Pirates’ lead at 78-77.
San Sebastian had one final opportunity to steal the victory, but Castor’s last-second attempt missed as time expired, allowing Lyceum to escape with the hard-fought win.
Villegas finished with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. Guadaña contributed 13 points, while Jonathan Daileg added 10 markers for the Pirates.
Gabat led all scorers with 22 points and 8 rebounds for San Sebastian, while Castor chipped in 13 points. Despite their late rally, the Golden Stags suffered their eighth consecutive defeat.
Following his decisive basket, Villegas credited the coaching staff for the play that gave them the victory.
“Credits sa coaches do’n sa play. Parang nag-breakdown lang ’yong defense, ’di para sa’kin ’yong play,” admitted Villegas.
The Pirates secured their second consecutive victory to improve to 3-5 in Group A and will next face the Arellano Chiefs on October 22 to close out the crossover phase. San Sebastian, on the other hand, will continue its search for its first win against the Mapua Cardinals on October 19.
