Two contrasting finishes unfolded on Tuesday the in NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament as the JRU Heavy Bombers escaped the Lyceum Pirates, while the EAC Generals dominated the San Sebastian Golden Stags.
JRU Survives Lyceum, 81-78
In Tuesday’s first game, the JRU Heavy Bombers held off a late rally by the Lyceum Pirates to notch an 81-78 victory.
JRU held a 63-56 advantage entering the fourth quarter and stretched its lead to 75-63 before Lyceum mounted a late rally.
Led by Renz Villegas and Matthew Rubico, the Pirates launched a 12-4 run to cut the deficit to 79-75. Rubico then completed an and-one play with 16 seconds remaining, bringing Lyceum within one, 79-78.
With the game on the line, Lawrence Mangubat calmly sank two free throws to restore JRU’s three-point cushion, 81-78, with 9.2 seconds left.
Lyceum had one final opportunity to force overtime, but three-point attempts from Lance Aurigue and Villegas missed their targets, allowing the Heavy Bombers to escape with the victory.
With star forward Chris Hubilla sidelined by a partial medial collateral ligament tear for JRU, Sanlea Peñaverde stepped up with a season-best 22 points, including six three-pointers, alongside 5 assists and 4 steals.
Sean Salvador added 16 points, while Mangubat contributed 12 points and 9 assists in his return from a shoulder injury. Ivan Panapanaan also posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Villegas finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Jonathan Daileg added 15 points for the Pirates.
The Heavy Bombers took the solo lead in Group A at 8-3, while the Pirates fell to 4-6 in Group B.
EAC Keeps San Sebastian Winless, 96-64
In Tuesday’s nightcap, the EAC Generals kept the San Sebastian Golden Stags winless with a 96-64 blowout win.
EAC immediately established control, taking a 26-17 advantage after the opening quarter before extending its lead to 50-34 at halftime.
The Generals continued to dictate the pace in the third period, outscoring the Golden Stags to build a commanding 72-50 cushion heading into the final quarter. EAC maintained its dominance down the stretch to secure the convincing 32-point victory.
MJ Raymundo spearheaded the Generals’ offensive effort with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, helping EAC bounce back from its narrow 89-86 defeat to San Beda in its previous outing.
Joseph Nunag provided a significant contribution with 16 points, while EJ Castillo added 13 markers. Jude Bagay also reached double figures with 10 points and 6 rebounds.
Kent Bacani paced San Sebastian with 22 points, while Arwin Alforque and Nurben Muktimar contributed 10 points apiece.
However, their efforts could not prevent the Golden Stags from absorbing their 11th consecutive defeat of the tournament, leaving them winless at 0-11.
With the victory, EAC improved to 4-6 in Group B, maintaining third place and strengthening its bid to secure a direct quarterfinal berth.
