Jose Rizal University and Lyceum of the Philippines delivered another overtime nail-biter in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament.
This high-paced and physical affair saw the Pirates narrowly defeat the Heavy Bombers, 99-96, thanks to late-game heroics from Shawn Umali and Enoch Valdez on Tuesday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
Umali and Valdez stepped up significantly in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime, contributing on both ends of the court.
As the two seniors of Lyceum, each had their moment to shine.
Umali’s performance was even more impressive, considering the 6-foot-3 big man was battling a fever, according to Pirates head coach Gilbert Malabanan.
“I give credit to Shawn, even though he’s not feeling well, he chose to play. Lahat naman sila gusto manalo, and natutuwa ako na kung tinatanong ko siya, sasabihin niya, ‘Coach, gusto ko’,” said Malabanan.
“Kahit hindi na siya nakakatakbo o nakakababa, but the good thing is he’s a fighter. My players are all fighters, talagang gusto nila makamit yung goal namin, and the good thing is nagre-respond naman sila.”
Trailing 87-85 with 48 seconds left on the clock, Valdez set up Umali on the low block. He then maneuvered his way into the paint and made a shot off the glass to tie the match.
In the final second of the quarter, Umali came from the weak side to save the game. He blocked Marwin Dionisio’s layup attempt, sending the match into overtime.
Valdez later repaid Umali’s efforts at the end of regulation by sealing the game in overtime with his unyielding energy on both ends. Down by one with 30 seconds left on the clock, Valdez sank a corner triple to take a 98-96 lead.
On the other side of the court, he stole the ball during a JL Delos Santos drive, then made one on the foul to seal the win.
Valdez finished the game with 14 points, four rebounds, four steals, and a season-high eight assists. Meanwhile, Umali contributed 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, and three blocks.
The Pirates avoided a four-game losing streak as they got their revenge on JRU. Last time, they fell to a double-overtime thriller with the Heavy Bombers, 88-87, at the end of the first round.
For Malabanan, their previous heartbreaking loss and the three-game losing streak played no part in their preparations heading into the game.
“Actually, hindi naman namin pinagusapan yung three-game losing streak na ‘yan. Sinabi ko lang sa kanila, second round na, lahat ng teams na lalabanan namin pahirap ng pahirap, so kailangan talaga namin pagtrabuhan. Nag-start kami sa practices and next nga is the game.”
JRU had multiple chances to secure the victory in both the fourth period and overtime. They led by as much as nine, 84-75, in the middle of the fourth quarter, and went up by six, 93-87, to start the overtime session.
Vince Cunanan played a massive role in the victory as the wily guard stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, four rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and a block. John Barba had a similarly productive outing with 12 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
Meanwhile, Patrick Montano and Alvin Penafiel chipped in with 14 points and 10 points, respectively.
The Pirates were missing the services of their sharp-shooting veteran guard Mclaude Guadana due to an undisclosed injury.
Lyceum also broke its tie in the standings with JRU, moving up to a 7-3 record and dropping the Heavy Bombers to 6-4.
Up next on the schedule for the Pirates is an early-morning bout against Emilio Aguinaldo College on Saturday at 9:30 AM.
The Heavy Bombers received a massive boost from Joshua Guiab, who had a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. JL Delos Santos showcased his own 14-point, 11-assist double-double, while also contributing six rebounds and three steals.
Agem Miranda was once again productive in his bench role with 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Their streaky rookie shooter, Shawn Argente, added 10 points of his own.
The Heavy Bombers have a matchup versus the 3-6 San Sebastian College-Recoletos awaiting them on Friday at 4:00 PM.
The Scores:
LPU 99- Cunanan 20, Valdez 14, Montano 14, Umali 13, Barba 12, Bravo 10, Penafiel 5, Villegas 4, Omandac 3, Aviles 2, Culanay 2, Fuentes 0, Versoza 0
JRU 96- Guiab 21, Miranda 19, Delos Santos 14, Argente 10, Sarmiento 8, Dionisio 6, Medina 6, Pabico 6, Sy 3, Arenal 2, dela Rosa 1, De Leon 0, Ramos 0, Mosqueda 0
Quarterscores: 28-23, 54-53, 71-72, 87-87, 99-96
