Lyceum of the Philippines University mounted a fourth-quarter rally, thanks to hot shooting from Mclaude Guadaña and John Bravo.
The Pirates came from behind to defeat also-ran Letran Knights, 85-79, in the second round of the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
Lyceum found itself trailing by as much as 14 points in the third quarter, but five three-pointers, courtesy of Mclaude Guadana and John Bravo in the final frame, proved to be sufficient to turn the tide in the Pirates’ favor.
As one of many games in season 99 where Lyceum came alive in the fourth quarter, head coach Gilbert Malabanan praised his squad’s efforts to rally but also called for sustained effort in their upcoming matchups.
“Iwan ko ba kung bakit palaging ganito ang team namin, palaging humahabol sa fourth quarter ng second half, pero kaya naman sana gawin iyon sa first half. Sa totoo lang, siguro nasanay na lang din mga players ko sa ganun, pero gusto ko kung paano nila nilalaro sa second half,” said Malabanan.
“Siguro nakita n’yo naman nung first half, hanggang third quarter, sobrang relaxed ang mga players namin. Sabi ko sa playoffs, hindi tayo pwede maging kampante. Dapat magkaroon tayo ng parehong energy mula first quarter hanggang fourth quarter.”
The Pirates entered the fourth quarter trailing by double-digits, but Guadana’s back-to-back three-pointers in the first three minutes suddenly made it a two-possession game, with a score of 64-68 and 7:27 left to play.
Enoch Valdez would tie the game at 72-72 after a fastbreak layup, then Shawn Umali gave the Pirates their first lead since the start of the second quarter with his lay-in with 4:29 left in the game.
With the Knights on the ropes, John Bravo delivered the knockout punch to Letran by sinking three straight triples that hit nothing but net, sealing the 85-79 victory in favor of Lyceum.
Malabanan reiterated his praise for his squad’s versatility and depth after the all-out effort from their starters to their bench to get back in the game.
“Uulitin ko lang, ano, kahit anong nangyari dito, talagang unpredictable ang team namin, at maganda iyon. Hindi nila alam kung sinong isosopla nila, kaya nagpopokus sila sa team defense,” shared Malabanan.
“Kanina, sina Gyle Montano ang mga bida, pero ngayon, sina Mclaude, si Enoch, si Bravo. Kaya talagang maganda ang balanse. Maganda na pagpasok mo sa laro, handa na. Minsan, medyo mabagal sila sa simula, pero kapag uminit, okay sila.”
Guadana finished with 18 points from four triples and added three assists, while Valdez contributed 18 points alongside nine rebounds and three assists. Bravo finished with 17 points, shooting 3/5 from behind the three-point line.
The Pirates improved to a 10-3 record for the season, claiming sole possession of the top spot in the standings. They will face the College of Saint Benilde next on Friday at 2:00 p.m.
Deo Cuajao and Kobe Monje were the top scorers in the game, but with no other Letran player scoring in double digits, they ran out of firepower to defeat Lyceum. Cuajao finished with 24 points from six triples, while Monje added 20 points and five rebounds.
Letran’s troubled season continued to worsen as they dropped to a 1-12 record, firmly sitting at the bottom of the standings. The Knights will push forward toward their matchup with San Sebastian College-Recoletos on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.
The Scores:
LPU 85 – Valdez 18, Guadana 18, Bravo 17, Umali 7, Montano 6, Villegas 6, Omandac 6, Cunanan 5, Penafiel 2, Barba 0, Aviles 0, Fuentes 0
CSJL 79 – Cuajao 24, Monje 20, Go 8, Santos 6, Nunag 6, Fajardo 5, Batallier 4, Jumao-as 4, Garupil 2, Ariar 0
Quarterscores: 25-23, 41-45, 56-68, 85-79
