The Lyceum Pirates finished the crossover phase of the NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament on a high note after defeating the Arellano Chiefs, 62-57, on Thursday evening at the Playtime Filoil Centre in San Juan.
Both teams battled through a closely contested opening half, with Lyceum and Arellano ending the first quarter tied at 15-all. The Pirates gradually established control in the second quarter, but the Chiefs remained within striking distance as Lyceum carried a slim 34-31 advantage into halftime.
Lyceum entered the matchup without head coach Jamike Jarin, who served a one-game suspension following his ejection in the team’s previous game against San Sebastian. Team captain Genesis Aviles was also sidelined after suffering a knee injury early in the game. On the other side, Arellano was without T-Mc Ongotan due to a right ankle injury.
Matthew Rubico Leads Lyceum
Lyceum leaned on Matthew Rubico in this game, and he delivered another all-around performance, finishing with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists to lead the Pirates.
The Chiefs stayed close throughout the Third Quarter, trailing by just one point, 46-45, heading into the final period. However, Lyceum found timely contributions from its supporting cast to maintain its advantage down the stretch.
Lance Aurigue provided 11 points off the bench, while Mac Guadaña scored all 10 of his points in the Fourth Quarter to help the Pirates protect their lead.
Arellano had opportunities to force a late comeback, but its offense struggled to find consistency. Basty Valencia, the Chiefs’ lone double-digit scorer, recorded 11 points and 10 rebounds but shot just 5-of-22 from the field.
Valencia also missed a potential game-tying three-pointer late in the contest. Guadaña then converted two free throws with 9.4 seconds remaining to put the game beyond Arellano’s reach and seal the 62-57 victory.
Pirates Extend Winning Streak to Three
Following the victory, Rubico emphasized the importance of ball movement and making sure every player contributed to the team’s success.
“Tina-try ko lang i-involve ‘yong teammates ko kasi ‘di pwedeng ako lang ‘yong iiscore,” said the young guard in the postgame interview. “Kailangan lahat kami masaya, lahat kami dapat makakahawak ng bola,” Rubico added.
The Pirates also dedicated their victory to Jarin and Aviles.
“Itong game na ‘to inaalay talaga namin ‘to kay coach Jamike tsaka sa captain namin. Para sa kanila talaga ‘to, bago magsimula ‘tong game na ‘to, yun na nakatatak sa puso at isip namin,” Rubico said.
The victory gave the Pirates additional momentum heading into the next phase of the tournament as it has now extended its winning streak to three games.
Meanwhile, Arellano will look to bounce back after finishing the crossover round with a 5-4 record.
At the end of the crossover phase, the JRU Heavy Bombers topped Group A with a 7-2 record, while the Letran Knights led Group B at 6-3.
