The Mapua Cardinals extended their winning streak to five games after overcoming the Perpetual Help Altas, 65-60, in overtime in the NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Friday evening.
The Altas started strong against the Cardinals, establishing a 35-22 advantage in the second quarter. Perpetual maintained its lead throughout the third period, entering the final quarter ahead, 45-39, after limiting Mapua’s offensive production.
Rey Maglupay extended the Altas’ advantage to 10 points, 52-42, with a triple early in the fourth quarter, putting Mapua in danger of losing its momentum after four consecutive victories.
However, the Cardinals responded by tightening their defense and finding their rhythm from the perimeter. Jamal Diaz connected on crucial three-pointers to help spark a rally, while Mapua gradually chipped away at the deficit.
The Cardinals eventually unleashed a 12-0 scoring run to seize a 54-52 lead with under two minutes remaining. Mark Gojo Cruz then answered with a layup to tie the contest at 54-all, as both teams failed to convert their remaining opportunities to force overtime.
Cyrus Cuenco Takes Over for Mapua in OT
With the game still undecided, Cyrus Cuenco delivered the decisive performance for Mapua in the extra period.
After missing opportunities to finish the game in regulation, Cuenco opened overtime with a three-pointer to give the Cardinals a 57-54 advantage. He followed it up with an and-one play to keep Mapua ahead as the Altas attempted to stay within striking distance.
Perpetual’s LA Casinillo continued to produce offensively, but Cuenco came through again with another crucial triple to stretch Mapua’s lead to 63-58 with around 1:45 remaining.
Ivan Lazarte then scored inside to extend the Cardinals’ cushion, while Mapua’s defensive stops prevented the Altas from completing another comeback. Cuenco scored 9 of Mapua’s 11 points in overtime to help secure the 65-60 victory.
Cardinals Now the Hottest Team in Season 102
With this victory, the Chito Victolero-led squad has now completely turned things around after starting out this season with a 0-3 record and has remained the only team in the league to have this winning stretch.
Cuenco finished with a team-high 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, making up for his missed chances late in regulation with a clutch overtime performance.
Yam Concepcion and Marcus Nitura added 14 points apiece, while Diaz contributed 12 points and 5 rebounds to support Mapua’s fifth consecutive victory.
For Perpetual, Casinillo paced the team with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Gojo Cruz added 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.
The Cardinals will next face the San Sebastian Golden Stags on Monday, October 19, as they aim to extend their winning streak to six games. Perpetual, meanwhile, will look to end its slump against the JRU Heavy Bombers on Tuesday, October 20.
