Mapua University halted the four-game winning streak of the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA and secured a spot in the Final Four after a 69-53 blowout in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre, San Juan.
Cardinals head coach Randy Alcantara shared that a crucial motivating factor for their Final Four clinching win was the memory of their shortcoming last season when the Cardinals failed to make the Final Four due to their slow start.
“Ang naging masakit na nangyari sa amin last season, yun ang naging motivation namin. Ano lang talaga is to compete every game at naging maganda yung resulta, and of course, siyempre yung hard work and teamwork ng mga players yun talaga, pati yung trust nila doon sa mga kakampi nila,” said Alcantara.
Mapua took control of the momentum from the jump, preventing the Altas from ever taking the lead throughout the entire game with their suffocating defense. The Cardinals held Perpetual to just eight points in the first quarter, controlling the pace of the game to enter halftime with a quiet eight-point advantage.
The Cardinals blitzed Perpetual in the third quarter with an offensive explosion as their offense came to life, jumping out to a double-digit lead after outscoring Perpetual 27-15 coming out of the halftime break.
By the final frame, it was only a matter of managing the clock and preventing any runs that the Altas tried summoning to get themselves back into the ball game. Mapua swiftly put out any fires that Perpetual started, fending off the Altas from getting within range of taking the game and running away with the 69-53 win after the final buzzer.
Alcantara later commended his Cardinals squad for controlling their advantage perfectly in the final quarter to help solidify their lead and secure their Final Four slot.
“Sabi ko kanina up kami 20 sa fourth quarter huwag tayo magkumpiyansa kasi babalik at babalik yan. Alam naman natin yung teams dito gagawa ng run para dumikit at manalo. Stay focused, kung ano yung naumpisahan natin, kung mamamaintain natin doblehin natin, especially on the boxout, then sa mga shooters nila. Ayon, ginawa nila yung gameplan at proud ang coaches para sa kanila,” shared Alcantara.
Clint Escamis was once again the man of the hour for Mapua as he dropped 17 points, four rebounds, four assists, one block, and six steals en route to victory. Following closely was team captain Warren Bonifacio, who had 11 points, six boards, and three assists. Jopet Soriano then chipped in with 10 points of his own.
The Cardinals climbed up to a 13-3 win-loss record for the season, solidifying their hold on the number one spot in the standings for season 99. Up next on their schedule is a matchup against Arellano University on Friday, 4:00 p.m.
Jun Roque was the only Alta that consistently beat the Mapua defense as he dropped a 12-point 13-rebound double-double.
Cyrus Nitura and Jielo Razon both struggled mightily from the field, combining for 12 points on 5-of-22 shooting.
Coming off his game-winner in the previous matchup, Mark Omega was silenced by the Cardinals and held to just three points, but the big man caught 10 boards to go along with it.
After dropping down to an 8-8 record, Perpetual now faces elimination from the Final Four contention as one more win from College of Saint Benilde and Jose Rizal University would prevent them from breaking the barrier into the top four spots in the standings.
They are set to go up against Emilio Aguinaldo College on Saturday, 3:00 p.m. in what will be an elimination game for both sides.
The Scores:
MU 69 – Escamis 17, Bonifacio 11, Soriano 10, Cuenco 8, Dalisay 6, Recto 4, Rosillo 4, Morenos 4, Hernandez 3, Igliane 2, Asuncion 0, Bancale 0, Sabsalon 0
UPHSD 53 – Roque 13, Pagaran 9, Abis 7, Nitura 6, Razon 6, Gelsano 4, Omega 3, Barcuma 3, Ferreras 2, Nunez 0, Boral 0, Cuevas 0
Quarterscores: 11-8, 29-21, 56-36, 69-53
