Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas (PCU-D) staged a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback to edge Manila Central University (MCU), 85-81, and secure a share of second place in the UCAL-PGFlex Linoleum 7th Season on Thursday, Feb. 20, at Paco Arena in Manila.
Prolific forward Ram Mesqueriola delivered in the clutch, making two crucial plays in the final 25 seconds.
First, he assisted Alvin Reyes on a go-ahead basket that broke an 81-all deadlock. Then, with 20 seconds remaining, he calmly sank two pressure-packed free throws to seal the victory.
Mesqueriola led four other PCU-D players in double figures, finishing with 17 points, three assists, and three rebounds.
With the win, the Dolphins improved to 6-2, tying the University of Batangas for second place heading into the final two playdates of the first phase of eliminations.
MCU, on the other hand, suffered its second straight loss, slipping to 5-3 in this tournament also supported by Akari, CafeFrance, Advance Solutions Inc., Smart Sports, Spalding, Team Rebel Sports, Quintana Sports, Crane Faucet, Hapee Toothpaste, Jiang Nan Restaurant, Vital, Top Flite Academy, Maruyama, and Gerry’s Grill.
In the second game, Immaculada Concepcion College (ICC) used a dominant third-quarter surge to defeat WCC-Aeronautical and Technological College (WCC-ATC), 87-79.
Trailing 34-31 at halftime, the Bluehawks erupted for 30 points in the third quarter, fueled by the hot shooting of Alfred Joseph Flores, Jared Loi Vento, and Edrian Mark Ramirez, turning the game in their favor. ICC secured its second straight win and improved to 5-3.
Flores led all scorers with 24 points, including three three-pointers, while Vento and Ramirez added 15 and 14 points, respectively. ICC climbed to fifth place, while WCC-ATC dropped to 1-7.
No team will be eliminated after the first phase of eliminations, but they will be grouped based on their standings: teams ranked 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th will form one group, while teams ranked 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th will comprise the other.
Each team will carry over its win-loss record into the next phase.
The top four finishers after another single round of group play will advance to the knockout semifinals, with the top two teams earning a twice-to-beat advantage.
