Ivan Lazarte is nursing a hurting foot. That’s the least of his concerns, especially with the Mapúa Cardinals now headed to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The Cardinals are through to the next stage after an 83-68 victory over the Lyceum Pirates on Thursday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan—with Lazarte leading the way, of course. The 6-foot-2 guard typified Mapúa’s dominant performance with a career-high 25 points on 9-for-10 shooting from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. He also added 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
Injured and All, Lazarte Is All In
Lazarte’s performance isn’t surprising. He has been one of Mapúa’s best players in Season 102, putting up 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists prior to the Lyceum play-in encounter. What is surprising is the circumstances behind it, as Lazarte notched his career best while nursing a hurting foot.
It turns out that injury isn’t keeping the veteran guard down—not against the Pirates, and definitely not against the Letran Knights, whom the Cardinals will face in the quarterfinals.
“Hindi ko po iniisip na hindi ako 100 percent. Kailangan naming mag-buy-in sa sistema ni Coach [Chito Victolero],” Lazarte told reporters after Mapúa’s big win. “No time to relax, no time to celebrate. Focus kami sa next game namin.”
The Cardinals certainly can’t relax. They are coming into the quarterfinals with a twice-to-win disadvantage, which means a loss would mean their next game would also be their last. Unless they can do something about it, that is.
Chito Victolero Lauds Lazarte’s Heart
Lazarte’s sacrifice and fighting spirit aren’t lost on Mapúa coach Chito Victolero.
“Si Ivan, since noong second round, injured pa siya. ‘Yung puso ng batang ‘to, sobrang laki,” Victolero noted. “Namamaga ‘yung paa niya pero he wants to play.”
On Thursday, he didn’t just play. He submitted a career-best performance in a win. Mapúa will need more of that against Letran—and maybe even beyond.
