By: Brenn Allen Flores
Cyrus Cuenco led Mapúa University to a 71-57 victory over the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, securing a Final Four berth for the Cardinals.
Cuenco was on fire from beyond the arc, making 6 of 8 three-point attempts to finish with 21 points.
With the win, Mapúa solidified its hold on second place with a 12-3 record, earning a potential twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs. Perpetual, on the other hand, saw its Final Four aspirations take a hit, dropping to 6-10.
Mapúa head coach Randy Alcantara lauded Cuenco for filling the shoes left by Paolo Hernandez.
“Noong start ng season, ‘yon talaga ‘yong goal ng coaches eh, na kung sino magfi-fill ng shoes ni Pao, so andiyan na si Cyrus,” Alcantara said.
“Kapag may nawala, may mag-i-improve or may mag-step up. So thanks nalang kami kasi at the same time naging two-way player din si Cy, kayang mag-score at dumepensa, kagaya ng ginagawa ni Pao last season,” he added.
Perpetual started strong with a 10-9 lead, but Mapúa quickly turned the tide, finishing the first quarter with a 16-12 advantage.
The Cardinals maintained their hot shooting in the second quarter, pulling ahead 25-20 midway through, but the Altas responded with a 10-4 run to take a slim 30-29 lead into halftime.
After Mapúa regained the lead midway through the third period, 40-34, Cuenco and Clint Escamis powered an 11-7 run, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 51-41 heading into the final quarter.
Mapúa continued to dominate in the fourth, pushing their lead to 60-51 with four minutes left. Perpetual could not close the gap as the Cardinals’ sharp shooting proved too much to overcome, handing the Altas their 10th loss of the season.
Despite Perpetual’s advantage in the paint, 42-29, Mapúa capitalized on the Altas’ 26 turnovers, scoring 28 points off them.
Escamis finished with 18 points and five assists, while Chris Hubilla added 15 points and seven rebounds.
Mapúa will next face the top-seeded College of St. Benilde on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 12 p.m.
Meanwhile, JP Boral and Christian Pagaran were the only double-digit scorers for Perpetual, finishing with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
The Altas will look to bounce back when they face San Sebastian College-Recoletos on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 11 a.m.
The Scores:
Mapua 71 – Cuenco 21, Escamis 18, Hubilla 15, Concepcion 6, Mangubat 5, Abdulla 3, Bancale 2, Recto 1, Igliane 0, Jabonete 0, Ryan 0, Garcia 0
Perpetual Help 57 – Boral 14, Pagaran 13, Abis 9, Gojo Cruz 6, Pizarro 6, Nuñez 2, Manuel 2, Montemayor 2, Gelsano 2, Movida 1, Sevilla 0, Thompson 0
Quarterscores: 16-12, 29-30, 51-41, 71-57
