By: Brenn Allen Flores
Lawrence Mangubat took control in the final minute, sinking the game-winning three-pointer to lead Mapua University to a thrilling 69-68 victory over Lyceum of the Philippines University, clinching their Final Four spot in the NCAA Season 100 Senior Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
Mangubat matched his career-high with 16 points, including five crucial points in the last minute of the game, and added five rebounds while shooting at an impressive 46.2 percent efficiency.
“Mga veterans namin medyo off ngayon eh kaya kailangan namin magstep-up, yong mga sidekicks nila ganoon,” the rookie from Cebu said after the game.
“Galing sa mga last games namin, off (game) ako eh. Pero nagtiwala lang ako sa mga kasama ko, mga coaches, at sa team namin,” Mangubat added.
After Renz Villegas sank three free throws to give Lyceum their first lead of the game at 66-64, Mangubat quickly responded with a long jumper, tying the game at 66-all with 25.8 seconds remaining.
Villegas then drilled a clutch jumper with just 10.7 seconds left, putting the Pirates ahead 68-66.
However, Mangubat answered back with a tough three-pointer over Jonathan Daileg, giving Mapua a 69-68 lead with only seconds left on the clock.
Daileg’s potential game-winning jumper fell short, allowing the Cardinals to secure their 11th tournament win.
Mapua tightened their grip on second place with an 11-3 win-loss record, while Lyceum dropped to fifth place, tying the University of Perpetual Help System-DALTA with a 6-8 slate.
The game began tightly contested, tied at 4-all before the Cardinals unleashed a 14-8 run to end the opening quarter with an 18-12 advantage. Mapua surged to a 25-16 lead midway through the second quarter, but the Pirates fought back with a 9-3 run, cutting the deficit to three points, 28-25, by halftime.
Chris Hubilla spearheaded a 12-6 run at the start of the third quarter, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 40-31 midway through the period, and allowing them to break into double digits with a 54-40 lead heading into the final quarter.
Lyceum mounted a comeback in the fourth, eventually narrowing the gap to one point at 64-63, thanks to the efforts of Villegas and Daileg.
Hubilla contributed 14 points, while Cyrus Cuenco and Clint Escamis added 11 and 10 points, respectively, to the Cardinals’ total.
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will aim to continue their momentum against the University of Perpetual Help System-DALTA on Saturday, November 9, at 11 a.m.
On the other side, with Ato Barba playing only 15 minutes and scoring five points, Villegas stepped up as Lyceum’s only double-digit scorer, finishing with 22 points and four rebounds on 53.9 percent efficiency.
The Pirates will seek to bounce back against San Sebastian College-Recoletos on Tuesday, November 5, at 11:00 a.m.
The Scores:
Mapua 69 – Mangubat 16, Hubilla 14, Cuenco 11, Escamis 10, Concepcion 6, Igliane 4, Recto 4, Jabonete 2, Ryan 2, Abdulla 0, Bancale 0, Garcia 0
Lyceum 68 – Villegas 22, Montaño 9, Cunanan 8, Aviles 7, Daileg 7, Guadaña 5, Barba 5, Peñafiel 3, Versoza 2, Caduyac 0, Moralejo 0
Quarterscores: 18-12, 28-25, 54-40, 69-68
