Lyceum of the Philippines University snapped its three-game losing streak on Tuesday, propelled by Renz Villegas, who scored 25 points to lead the Pirates past San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 93-85, in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
“Yung three losses namin, that’s the past eh. Lagi ko sinasabi sa players namin that’s the past, ang importante kasi yung now. Kung ano yung meron kami ngayon, which is yung San Sebastian,” said Pirates head coach Gilbert Malabanan after the game.
“I give credit to Coach Arvin (Bonleon) for doing a great job for San Sebastian. Sinabi ko lang, kailangan natin imaximize yung transition namin kasi mabibilis yung San Sebastian,” added the former pro, who is running for a council seat in San Pedro, Laguna.
Villegas surpassed his previous career-best of 23 points, which he achieved in the Pirates’ last victory, a 91-68 win against Colegio de San Juan de Letran earlier in the second round.
In the third quarter, the Pirates unleashed an offensive explosion, outscoring the Stags 31-17. Their efficient offense shot 73%, missing only four attempts in the period.
Lyceum’s dominant performance gave them a commanding lead, extending to as high as 24 points (74-50) after a triple from Villegas early in the fourth quarter with 9:44 remaining.
Although the Pirates’ lead dwindled to single digits late in the fourth, they held on to secure the 93-85 victory.
In addition to Villegas, John Barba also had an impressive outing, contributing 20 points on 58.3% shooting. Simon Peñafiel added 10 points of his own, providing solid support in the win.
The victory was crucial for the Pirates, improving their record to 8-8 and putting them in a tie with Letran for fifth place in the standings as they inch closer to a coveted Final Four spot.
They will face Jose Rizal University next on Friday at 12:00 noon.
For San Sebastian, Tristan Felebrico led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Nikko Aguilar added 14 points.
The guard duo of Paeng Are and Raymart Escobido contributed 12 points each.
The Stags, meanwhile, have been eliminated from the Final Four race, dropping to 4-11 and remaining at the bottom of the NCAA standings.
They will take on the University of Perpetual Help Systems DALTA on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.
The Scores:
Lyceum 93 – Villegas 25, Barba 20, Peñafiel 10, Montaño 9, Guadaña 8, Panelo 6, Cunanan 4, Versoza 4, Daileg 3, Aviles 2, Moralejo 2, Caduyac 0
San Sebastian 85 – Felebrico 18, Aguilar 14, Are 12, Escobido 12, Velasco 6, R. Gabat 5, L. Gabat 4, Pascual 4, Barroga 3, Suico 3, Lintol 2, Cruz 2, Maliwat 0, Ramilo 0, Ricio 0
Quarterscores: 16-17, 40-33, 71-50, 93-85
