As the NCAA Season 101 Men’s Basketball Tournament enters the final phase of the elimination round, top teams from Groups A and B secured much-needed wins on November 7 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
JC Recto and the Cardinals Keep the LPU Pirates at Bay
The defending champions Mapúa University faced the Lyceum of the Philippines University, which are in dead last team of Group A.
Lyceum came out firing early, as Renz Villegas and Jonathan Daileg combined for 16 points to power the Pirates to a 28-21 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Photo Credits: Synergy: A GMA Collaboration and NCAA via Facebook
The Pirates shot an impressive 61.1 percent from the field during the opening frame and even extended their lead to 35-23 midway through the second period after a layup from Joshua Moralejo.
However, the Cardinals slowly found their rhythm. A 10-2 surge, capped by a three-point play from Yam Concepcion, allowed Mapua to momentarily seize the lead, 41-40, before halftime.
That momentum carried into the third quarter as the Cardinals launched a 13-1 run, highlighted by two free throws from Clint Escamis, to open a double-digit cushion at 54-43.
Photo Credits: Synergy: A GMA Collaboration and NCAA via Facebook
Mapua entered the final quarter holding a 61-55 advantage, but Lyceum refused to back down. Daileg once again fueled the Pirates’ offense, scoring six points in a blistering 10-0 rally that pushed them ahead, 65-61.
With the game hanging in the balance, Recto and Concepcion took charge for the Cardinals down the stretch.
With 2:38 remaining, Lyceum held a 70-67 lead before Concepcion trimmed the deficit and Recto drilled a go-ahead three-pointer to push Mapua in front, 72-70. Concepcion followed it up with another basket to widen the gap, 74-70, with under a minute to play.
Daileg tried to keep the Pirates alive with a split from the line after being fouled by Escamis, but Cyril Gonzales answered with a clutch jumper for the Cardinals. Moralejo gave Lyceum a final glimmer of hope with a late basket, though a turnover by Concepcion briefly opened the door for the Pirates to rally.
Yet, a foul by Lyon Pallingayan sent Gonzales to the free-throw line, where he calmly drained both shots to seal the win for Mapua.
FINAL SCORE: LPU PIRATES 73 – 78 MAPÚA CARDINALS
Photo Credits: GMA News TV and NCAA
Concepcion spearheaded Mapua’s balanced attack with 15 points on a 6-of-8 shooting clip along with four rebounds. Recto registered a double-double of 14 points and 12 boards, while also collecting four steals and three assists. Cyrus Cuenco and Nitura contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively.
For the Pirates, Daileg led all scorers with 18 points built on three triples, while Villegas chipped in 16 points, five assists, and three rebounds. Moralejo finished with solid contributions on both ends but couldn’t prevent Lyceum from slipping further in the standings.
With this crucial win, Mapua not only evened its record but also gained breathing room in Group A, holding a one-and-a-half-game edge over Arellano University.
The Cardinals will look to move above .500 when they take on the Chiefs on a rescheduled date. Meanwhile, Lyceum aims to regroup when it faces Group A leader Perpetual Altas on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Battle of Top Teams in the Group of Death: CSB vs San Beda
The #1 and #2 teams in Group B faced each other one last time in the elimination round, College of Saint Benilde up against San Beda University.
It was reported that the reigning MVP Allen Liwag of CSB is out due to a shoulder injury.
Photo Credits: NCAA Livestream via YouTube
The Red Lions controlled much of the middle quarters with a dominant offensive stretch, outscoring Benilde 51-31 behind the stellar shooting of Yukien Andrada and Bryan Sajonia.
Andrada exploded for 10 points in the third quarter, with Sajonia adding three long-range bombs as San Beda widened the gap entering the 4th quarter.
Despite the Red Lions’ momentum, Benilde refused to fold, showing resilience in the fourth quarter. Shawn Umali asserted his presence in the paint while Jhommel Ancheta’s basket cut the deficit to 73-69 with two minutes left.
Photo Credits: Synergy: A GMA Collaboration and NCAA via Facebook
The Blazers then rallied behind a barrage of three-pointers from Jake Gaspay and Tony Ynot, trimming San Beda’s lead to just one, 77-76, with a minute remaining. Sajonia answered with a clutch triple to extend the Red Lions’ lead, only for Ynot to respond with one of his own to keep Benilde within striking distance.
With the game hanging in the balance, Josh Cajucom’s foul sent Sajonia to the line, where he made one of two free throws.
Moments later, Raffy Celis fouled Janti Miller, who calmly drained two crucial free throws to put the game away and seal the victory for San Beda.
Photo Credits: Synergy: A GMA Collaboration and NCAA via Facebook
FINAL SCORE: CSB BLAZERS 76 – 80 SAN BEDA RED LIONS
The graduating Andrada led the charge with 23 points, five rebounds, and two assists, connecting on four of his six three-point attempts. Sajonia also delivered his best performance since returning from injury, tallying 22 points on a 60-percent shooting clip, including four triples, and adding four rebounds.
“Yeah, coming off two losses, make or break ‘yung game na ‘to eh,” said Santos after the win.
“Imagine if we lost three straight, how demoralizing that would have been? But to end that losing streak, to beat a tough Benilde team, to solidify ourselves in number one, [it’s a] super big win.”
Aside from Andrada and Sajonia’s combined 45 points, Miller provided valuable support with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Ynot led the Blazers with 21 points on four triples and grabbed eight rebounds, while Umali chipped in 16 points before fouling out. Despite being limited to 6 points, Justine Sanchez contributed on the boards with 10 rebounds.
With the win, San Beda now stands alone atop Group B and looks to build momentum heading into its rivalry clash against the Letran Knights on Tuesday at MOA.
The Blazers, who share the same loss column as Letran and JRU, will aim to bounce back when they face the EAC Generals on Sunday at the same venue.
