Mapua grabs a share of the NCAA second spot after surviving JRU’s fourth-quarter uprising, while EAC leans on King Gurtiza in the final minute to outlast Lyceum
MANILA, Philippines – Mapua and Emilio Aguinaldo College needed some endgame heroics to survive their separate games in the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday, September 29, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
Clint Escamis knocked in the key buckets in the final quarter to help the Mapua Cardinals arrest the JRU Heavy Bombers’ fourth-quarter outburst and get away with an 88-81 triumph.
The Cardinals — who saw their whopping 23-point lead, 42-19, sliced to just two possessions, 71-66 — survived the late uprising to climb to a share of No. 2 with the Letran Knights with a 5-2 record, just behind league-leader St. Benilde (5-1).
Escamis dropped 6 of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter as the reigning MVP helped the Cardinals restore order.
The Cardinals, last year’s runner up to champion San Beda, also had four other players scoring in double figures — Lawrence Mangubat (16 points), Chris Hubilla (15), Marc Cuenco (13), and Jeco Bancale (10).
King Gurtiza, meanwhile, came through the clutch to lead the EAC Generals’ escape of the Lyceum Pirates, 90-88
With the Generals down by 3 points with a little over a minute to go, Gurtiza struck back with a thunderous triple and two pressure-packed free throws.
Gurtiza finished with 21 points in the narrow win that helped EAC tie Lyceum at sixth with a 2-4 slate.
The Scores
First Game
Mapua 88 – Escamis 19, Mangubat 16, Hubilla 15, Cuenco 13, Bancale 10, Jabonete 4, Igliane 4, Concepcion 4, Garcia 3, Ryan 0, Fermin 0, Agemenyi 0, Pantaleon 0.
JRU 81 – Guiab 17, Panapanaan 15, Pangilinan 12, Raymundo 11, Argente 11, Benitez 4, Garcia 4, Mosqueda 2, Barrera 2, De Leon 1, Ramos 0, Samontanes 0, Sarmiento 0, Ferrer 0.
Quarters: 32-18, 57-41, 71-57, 88-81.
Second Game
EAC 90- Gurtiza 21, Bagay 11, Doromal 9, Pagsanjan 8, Quinal 8, Loristo 8, Ochavo 7, Oftana 6, Lucero 5, Luciano 5, Jacob 2, Angeles 0, Manacho 0, Umpad 0.
Lyceum 88- Barba 19, Montano 14, Villegas 12, Peñafiel 11, Moralejo 7, Cunanan 5, Daileg 5, Caduyac 5, Aviles 4, Gordon 4, Guadana 2, Panelo 0.
Quarters: 28-17, 52-44, 68-69, 90-88.
– Rappler.com
