San Beda University denied Mapúa University’s late comeback bid, escaping with a 61-57 nail-biter to clinch its third consecutive win in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
The Red Lions remained unbeaten in the final round of eliminations and reclaimed the top spot in Group A, joining the JRU Heavy Bombers at 8-3.
San Beda also strengthened its bid for a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals after avenging its 55-54 first-round loss to Mapúa.
“As you can see, I was so mad at the sidelines, reminding the players to focus on the things that we could control. And I think we were able to get crucial rebounds and make crucial stops at the end,” said head coach Yuri Escueta, reflecting on his team’s composure down the stretch.
The Cardinals controlled the first half behind Cyrus Cuenco’s 11 points, taking a 30-23 lead into the break.
However, San Beda came alive in the third quarter, with Dan Marcelo and JC Bonzalida leading the charge in a 22-point explosion.
The Red Lions also tightened their defense, limiting Mapúa to just six points in the period to seize a 45-36 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Cuenco caught fire midway through the fourth, draining three consecutive triples to cut the deficit to just one, 51-50, with four minutes remaining.
San Beda responded by stretching its lead back to five points at the free-throw line, but Jamal Diaz, who also stepped up in their first-round encounter, drilled a triple of his own to keep the Cardinals within striking distance at 55-53.
With both teams in the penalty, Marcelo and Cuenco traded free throws to keep the game close at 57-54 with less than two minutes remaining.
However, Cuenco missed a three-pointer from the center-court logo before Ivan Lazarte also failed to connect from deep. Andrei Ugaddan then sank his free throws to give San Beda a two-possession cushion.
With 21 seconds remaining, Cuenco returned to the line and trimmed the Red Lions’ lead to three, 58-55.
Yam Concepcion then fouled Dom Sarigumba on the ensuing possession, but Bonzalida split his free throws after Sarigumba was substituted out.
Ken Dones grabbed Cuenco’s airball and scored on the put-back to bring Mapúa within two. However, RC Calimag calmly sank his free throws on the other end to restore San Beda’s four-point lead.
In a last-ditch effort, Cuenco failed to convert on Mapúa’s final possession as the Red Lions held on for the victory.
“Whatever it is, at the end of the day, it’s just you and the rim. If you put in the work and believe in yourself, that’s what I do every single game; I just believe in the work ethic I put in myself,” said Marcelo.
Marcelo led the Red Lions with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Bonzalida added 10 points, eight rebounds, and a block.
Meanwhile, Aldous Torculas struggled offensively, finishing with just four points on 1-of-10 shooting from the field.
San Beda will look to sustain its strong finish in the elimination round when it faces the Lyceum Pirates in its penultimate assignment next Thursday, November 5, at 5 p.m. at the same venue.
Mapúa, meanwhile, absorbed its second consecutive loss following a 71-69 defeat to the College of Saint Benilde on Monday. The Cardinals slipped to fourth place in Group A with a 6-5 record.
Cuenco paced Mapúa with 23 points, three rebounds, and two steals, while Concepcion recorded a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
The Cardinals will aim to bounce back when they take on the Heavy Bombers on Tuesday, November 3, at 5 p.m. at the same venue.
The Scores:
San Beda 61 – Marcelo 16, Bonzalida 10, Lina 9, RC Calimag 7, Jamora 6, Torculas 4, Hawkins 3, Sarigumba 2, Puno 2, Ugaddan 1, Etulle 1, Jalbuena 0 R. Calimag 0
Mapua 57 – Cuenco 12, Concepcion 12, M. Nitura 6, Igliane 4, Diaz 3, Lazarte 3, Dones 2, Razon 2, Reyes 2, L. Nitura 0, Mendoza 0, Bernabe 0, Ryan 0
Quarterscores: 12-17, 23-30, 45-36, 61-57
