Ivan Lazarte powered Mapúa University into the quarterfinals with an 83-68 drubbing of Lyceum of the Philippines University in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Play-In on Thursday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.
The two squads had split their elimination-round meetings, with the Pirates drawing first blood before the Cardinals claimed their most recent encounter, 71-68, just three days ago.
Mapúa will now face Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the quarterfinals next week at the same venue, setting up another installment of the Battle of Intramuros.
The Cardinals took control early and built a lead of as many as 19 points in the second quarter, with Lazarte already pouring in 21 points in the first half alone.
The Pirates managed several brief offensive surges throughout the third quarter, but could only trim the deficit to 11 points in the fourth.
Despite Lyceum’s defensive efforts, Mapúa continued to capitalize on its impressive shooting, with Cyrus Cuenco and Russel Liwanag picking up where Lazarte left off.
The Cardinals showed no signs of slowing down, restoring their 19-point advantage in the final three minutes to put the game firmly out of reach.
For the Pirates, Jamike Jarin’s first season back as an NCAA head coach ended earlier than their previous campaign. After reaching the quarterfinals last season, Lyceum bowed out in the play-in round this time around.
