FOR the second straight year, Mapua is bound for the NCAA men's basketball finals.
The top-seeded Cardinals survived a third quarter meltdown before pulling off an 89-79 win over gutsy Lyceum in the Season 100 Final Four Saturday at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Reigning MVP Clint Escamis showed the way with a career game of 33 points to tow the Intramuros-based squad to its third finals appearance in the last four seasons.
Last year’s runner up will now await the winner of the other Final Four matchup between second seed College of St. Benilde and reigning champion San Beda.
Escamis is looking forward to completing unfinished business from last season when he and his teammates flubbed a 1-0 lead in the finals by losing two in a row against the Red Lions to remain titleless since 1991.
"For sure, yung maturity of how to handle the pressure in the finals, yun ang mai-instill ko sa akin at pati na sa mga teammates ko," said the King Cardinal about how different his second finals stint will be.
"Each year that passes, patagal nang patagal. Pero hopefully, (after) 33 (years), we'll get the job (done)," added Escamis, who actually had 18 points in the first quarter alone.
Enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage as the no. 1 seed, Mapua led 45-30 in the second quarter, but faltered in the third where the Pirates went on a 19-8 run to turn a nine-point deficit at the half to a 65-63 edge going to the final period.
Escamis then went to work and teamed up with Chris Hubilla, as the Cardinals went on a 9-2 blast to regain the upper hand, 72-67, with five minutes remaining.
The 24-year-old Escamis went 5-of-11 from three-point range, and added four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Hubilla had 17 and eight rebounds, as JC Recto also added 10.
JM Bravo's double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds led No. 4-seeded Lyceum, while Ato Barba submitted 14 points and Renz Villegas and Mac Guadana got 12 each.
But the Pirates missed six straight free throws in the final three minutes that could have erased an 81-75 Mapua lead.
The Scores:
MAPUA 89 - Escamis 33, Hubilla 17, Recto 10, Mangubat 7, Concepcion 7, Cuenco 6, Igliane 4, Bancale 4, Jabonete 1, Ryan 0, Garcia 0.
LYCEUM 79 - Bravo 20, Barba 14, Vilegas 12, Guadaña 12, Daileg 6, Versoza 6, Moralejo 3, Cunanan 2, Montaño 2, Peñafiel 2, Aviles 0.
Quarters: 29-21; 55-46; 63-65; 89-79.
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