HOST Lyceum fanned its NCAA Season 100 Final Four hopes by escaping a gritty Jose Rizal University side, 82-80, in the first game of Friday’s men’s basketball double-header at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Pirates’ second straight win catapulted them to an even 8-8 record - and more importantly, solo fourth place with two games left in their elimination round schedule.
They hold a one-game advantage against fifth-running Letran and Emilio Aguinaldo College, both holding similar 7-8 slates.
Ato Barba showed the way for the Pirates with 20 points, while Renz Villegas and Gyle Montano each had 18.
But Lyceum, which led by as many as 49-38 early in the third quarter, didn’t secure the victory until the Heavy Bombers' Shawn Argente missed a desperation three-point attempt from midcourt at the buzzer.
The game went to a final possession after Mac Guadana split his charities with 3.8 seconds left for a two-point Piratees lead.
Joshua Guiab just missed a double-double for JRU with a game-high 27 points and nine rebounds on an impressive 9-of-10 shooting from the field and a 8-of-10 stint from the free throw line.
Karl De Jesus finished with 14 and Joseph Pangilinan 10 for the Heavy Bombers, who officially bowed out of the running for the last Final Four berth after suffering their sixth loss in the last seven outings for an overall 4-12 record.
The Scores:
LYCEUM 82 - Barba 20, Villegas 18, Montaño 18, Peñafiel 10, Cunanan 4, Aviles 4, Versoza 4, Guadaña 3, Daileg 1, Moralejo 0, Panelo 0.
JRU 80 - Guiab 27, De Jesus 14, Pangilinan 10, Barrera 9, Raymundo 8, Sarmiento 4, Argente 3, Ferrer 3, Bernardo 2, Mosqueda 0, De Leon 0, Lozano 0, Panapanaan 0, Samontanes 0.
Quarters: 23-21; 47-38; 64-61; 82-80.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
