By: Brenn Allen Flores
John Barba and Renz Villegas led Lyceum of the Philippines University in an upset over Colegio San Juan de Letran, 91-68, to kick off the second round of the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Barba is currently the top scorer of the league after averaging 19.78 points per game in the first round. Today, he posted a double-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.
Villegas, on the other hand, recorded a season-high 23 points and grabbed five rebounds.
The Pirates both avenged their 78-66 first-round loss to Letran on October 5, and improved to a 5-5 record.
On the other hand, Letran dropped to third in the standings with a 6-4 record.
“After ng first round namin against Letran na natalo kami, nag-team building kami sa LPU Cavite, and doon namin pinag-usapan yong dapat naming gawin. Doon kami nag-prepare,” Barba shared after the game, reflecting on how they regrouped following their earlier defeat.
Letran opened the game strong, racing to a 21-16 lead with just under a minute left in the first quarter. However, Lyceum quickly answered, tying the game at 21-all on a buzzer-beating floater by JM Versoza to close the period.
The second quarter saw both teams battling closely, with Lyceum edging ahead 32-31 midway through the frame.
JM Bravo, who returned to the lineup, then sank a crucial three-pointer that sparked a 10-1 run, giving the Pirates a 42-33 lead.
Letran managed to trim the deficit to six points, 49-43, thanks to contributions from Paolo Javillonar, Vince Cuajao, and James Miller.
Coming out of halftime, Glyle Montaño fueled an 8-1 solo run, extending Lyceum’s lead to double digits, 57-47. Despite a brief surge by Cuajao and Jimboy Estrada that cut the lead to three, 57-54, Lyceum closed the third quarter with a 72-64 advantage.
The fourth quarter was all Lyceum as it outscored Letran 21-7 to seal the blowout win and start its second-round campaign with momentum.
A key factor in Lyceum’s victory was their dominance on the offensive glass, grabbing 23 offensive rebounds to Letran’s seven, resulting in 28 second-chance points.
JM Bravo was initially ruled out for the season due to a spine injury he sustained on September 13 against San Sebastian-Recoletos. He made an impactful return with 10 points and eight rebounds, nearly securing a double-double.
Montaño added 16 points, while Michael Versoza, also back from injury, chipped in with seven points.
“Silang tatlo yong missing piece noong first round kaya naging ganoon yong start namin, bad start kami. So ito na yong opportunity namin sa second round na bumawi,” Barba said, referring to the return of Bravo and Versoza.
Barba also hinted that Mclaude Guadana, who has been out with an injury, may return in their next game against San Beda University.
Lyceum aims to extend its winning streak when it faces the Red Lions on Tuesday at 11:00 AM.
For Letran, only three players scored in double digits, with Cuajao leading the way with 16 points. Estrada and Javillonar added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Knights will look to bounce back when they face University of Perpetual Help System DALTA on Sunday at 12:00 PM.
The Scores:
Lyceum 91 – Villegas 23, Barba 19, Montano 16, Bravo 10, Versoza 7, Aviles 5, Cunanan 4, Penafiel 4, Daileg 3, Moralejo 0, Paulo 0, Gordon 0, Panelo 0, Pallingayan 0.
Letran 68 – Cuajao 16, Estrada, 11, Javillonar 10, Miller 9, Monje 9, Santos 8, Nunag 2, Delfino 2, Montecillo 1, Baliling 0, Pradella 0.
Quarterscores: 21-21, 28-22, 21-18, 21-7
