The Mapua Cardinals and the Perpetual Help Altas have completed the cast for the NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament playoffs after emerging victorious in this year’s Play-In tournament.
Mapua Gives Lyceum the Quick Exit, 83-68
Mapua immediately took control in the opening period, outscoring the Pirates, 24-14, before extending its lead to 48-33 at halftime. Ivan Lazarte had already scored 21 points by the break, powering the Cardinals to a commanding advantage.
The Pirates attempted to mount a comeback in the second half, with Renz Villegas and Simon Penafiel helping generate offense. However, Mapua continued to keep Lyceum at bay, allowing the Pirates to get no closer than 11 points before restoring a 19-point cushion in the closing minutes.
Lazarte led the Cardinals’ dominant performance with a career-high 25 points, shooting 9-of-10 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. He also recorded 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal to help Mapua give LPU the quick exit.
Russell Liwanag contributed 15 points, Cyrus Cuenco added 13, and Jamal Diaz chipped in 11 for the Chito Victolero-led squad.
Meanwhile, Mclaude Guadaña led Lyceum with 15 points in his final collegiate game, while Villegas finished with 12 and Matthew Rubico added 11 points and 9 rebounds.
With the victory, Mapua arranged a quarterfinal showdown against Group B top seed Letran Knights on Tuesday, November 17. The Cardinals will enter the matchup carrying a twice-to-win disadvantage in their quarterfinal assignment.
Perpetual Keeps San Sebastian Winless, 79-73
Perpetual started strong, closing the opening quarter with a 12-5 run to establish a 27-20 advantage. The Altas continued to control the game in the second period, building an 11-point cushion at halftime, 55-44.
However, San Sebastian refused to go down without a fight. The Golden Stags unleashed a 15-2 run spanning the third quarter and the start of the fourth to erase Perpetual’s lead and tie the game at 64-all.
Kent Bacani then gave San Sebastian its first advantage of the contest, 71-69, with a triple with less than four minutes remaining. Jim Corpuz answered with a three-pointer to put the Altas back in front, but Vincent Segovia briefly restored the Stags’ lead.
With the game tied at 73, Orgo delivered a crucial jumper before Mark Gojo Cruz completed an and-one play with 18.6 seconds left to secure the victory.
Corpuz led the Altas with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Shawn Orgo added 15 points to help Perpetual advance to the next round. Gojo Cruz and LA Casinillo contributed 10 points apiece for Perpetual, while Bacani paced San Sebastian with 20 points.
The Altas will face defending champion San Beda Red Lions in the quarterfinals on Monday, November 16, carrying a twice-to-win disadvantage.
Meanwhile, San Sebastian ended its entire Season 102 campaign winless at 0-14.
