After a low-scoring affair in the first two quarters, Mapua University exploded in the second half as they outgunned San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 70-63, for a share of the lead in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
Mapua entered the hardwood looking sluggish, shooting 9-of-35 from the field in the first half, with no player scoring more than four points.
The second half told a different story as the Cardinals scored more points in the third quarter than they had in the entire first half. Much of the credit goes to seniors like Paolo Hernandez and Jopet Soriano, who each scored six points in the third quarter, helping to control the game.
As Baste looked to rally in the fourth quarter, Mapua’s team captain Warren Bonifacio stepped up to weather the storm.
Bonifacio scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter on perfect 3-of-3 shooting, and his offensive effort prevented the lead from returning to the Stags as they secured a 70-63 win.
Assistant coach Yong Garcia, who was pinch-hitting for the sick Randy Alcantara, shared his hope that their slow start against Baste would serve as a wake-up call for his players to stay focused on their goal despite being at the top of the standings.
“Well, yung mga bata ngayon, yung team namin, medyo talagang dumarating yung ganitong sitwasyon na medyo up and down. Hopefully itong game na ito maging wake up call para sa mga bata na kailangan hindi pa tapos yung liga. Yung first round lang yung number one eh. Matatapos yung tournament hanggang sa pinakalast game namin. Sabi namin sa kanila, lagi namin silang nireremind i-treat natin every game as a knock out game,” said Garcia.
Bonifacio finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block, filling up the stat sheet in the Cardinals’ victory. Marc Cuenco added 12 points with three triples, while Soriano contributed 11 points and seven rebounds.
Both Hernandez and Clint Escamis struggled to score efficiently throughout the matchup, shooting a combined 6/27 from the field for a total of 15 points.
The Cardinals improved to a 10-3 record, once again tying with Lyceum of the Philippines University for first place in the standings. They aim to gain an edge over the Pirates on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. as they face Emilio Aguinaldo College.
Romel Calahat led Baste in scoring with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. Tristan Felebrico was the only other Stag in double-digits with 12 points.
Though his offensive impact was minimal, James Una played a vital role on the boards, grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with his four points.
San Sebastian’s Final Four hopes dwindled as they dropped to a 4-9 record. The Stags will face Colegio de San Juan de Letran next on their schedule on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.
The Scores:
Mapua 70- Bonifacio 15, Cuenco 12, Soriano 11, Hernandez 8, Escamis 7, Recto 7, Dalisay 6, Igliane 4, Bancale 0, Morenos 0, Fornis 0, Asuncion 0
SSC-R 63-Calahat 18, Felebrico 15, Are 8, Ra. Gabat 8, Desoyo 7, Sumoda 4, Una 4, Escobido 2, De Leon 0, Shanoda 0, Castor 0, Aguilar 0
Quarterscores: 12-11; 23-26; 51-45; 70-63
