By: Bjorn Del Deade
Mapua University exacted sweet revenge against San Beda, escaping with a 58-55 victory to solidify their hold on second place in Round 2 of the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Mapua now holds a 10-3 win-loss record, trailing just behind the top-ranked De La Salle-College of St. Benilde Blazers, who stand at 10-2.
Down by two, 49-47, San Beda briefly took the lead with less than four minutes remaining. A floater from James Payosing and a bank shot from Bryan Sajonia pushed the score to 51-47.
Looking to avenge their first-round defeat, the Cardinals’ Marc Cuenco and Yam Concepcion quickly responded with back-to-back triples, sparking an 8-0 run that gave Mapua a 57-51 lead.
Menard Songcuya scored a quick layup, but five seconds ticked off the clock, leaving San Beda just 10.6 seconds to attempt a comeback. Sajonia then closed the gap to two points with two free throws, making it 57-55 with 6.8 seconds left.
With 2.9 seconds remaining, Cuenco split his free throws to extend Mapua’s lead to three, 58-55.
That forced San Beda to pin their hopes on Puno’s potential game-tying half-court heave, which fell short.
“Every win and every loss kailangan may matutunan kami. ‘Yung pagkakamali namin nung first round, talagang ilang film session yung ginawa namin para ma-correct mga errors,” head coach Randy Alcantara said.
“Talagang kung sino ang may gusto. Mas gusto siguro namin, at nakita naman natin sa performance ng mga bata.”
Chris Hubilla’s fastbreak layup gave Mapua an early 11-point lead with about three minutes left in the first quarter, 16-5.
However, the Red Lions countered with a 7-0 run – capped by Jomel Puno’s triple to end the quarter – cutting the deficit to four, 16-12.
Mapua dominated the offensive glass, grabbing nine of its 25 offensive rebounds in the second quarter alone. This allowed them to build a nine-point cushion at halftime, fueled by a 12-2 run led by Hubilla, pushing the lead to 32-23.
San Beda, playing without Lina after he was ejected for a disqualifying foul, found themselves down by as much as 42-29 late in the third quarter.
However, the Red Lions fought back, led by Sajonia’s four points and a late surge punctuated by Puno’s reverse layup at the buzzer, trimming Mapua’s lead to six heading into the final frame, 46-40.
Hubilla led Mapua with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Cuenco added 11 points and five boards. Clint Escamis chipped in seven points.
The Cardinals will next face the Arellano University Chiefs on Friday, October 25, at 12:00 PM at the same venue.
Sajonia paced San Beda with 12 points, three rebounds, and three steals, while Jomel Puno contributed 11 points.
Yukien Andrada was limited to just nine points on 4-of-10 shooting. San Beda remains in third place with an 8-5 record.
The Red Lions will next face the San Sebastian College-Recoletos Golden Stags on the same day and venue at 2:30 PM.
The Scores:
Mapua 58 – Hubilla 17, Cuenco 11, Escamis 7, Abdulla 5, Recto 4, Mangubat 4, Jabonete 4, Concepcion 3, Igliane 3, Bancale 0, Fermin 0
San Beda 55 – Sajonia 12, Puno 11, Andrada 9, Estacio 6, Songcuya 6, Lina 6, Payosing 3, Tagle 2, Royo 0, Calimag 0, Bonzalida 0
Quarterscores: 16-12, 32-23, 46-40, 58-55
