THE Mapua Cardinals dealt the defending champion Collegio de San Juan de Letran Knights their sixth straight loss in the NCAA Season 99 men's basketball tournament after a 77-71 decision at FilOil EcoOil Centre on Wednesday.
Mapua vs Letran NCAA Season 99 men's basketball recap
Letran failed to complete a comeback after a 20-7 run at the end of the third quarter to trail by only a point, 55-56 as the Cardinals held on for their fifth win in six games.
Mapua’s Clint Escamis opened the final frame with a layup coming off from a steal, and a shot from beyond the arch to extend their lead 61-55.
Marc Cuenco contributed a three-pointer after, giving the Cardinals a 7-point lead after an attempt by Letran to trim the lead in the last 6:25 minutes of the game, 64-57.
With Letran down by 14, Kevin Santos, Vince Cuajao, and Kurt Reyson contributed seven points to trail behind Mapua, 76-71.
Cuenco nailed the win with a free throw at the charity stripe to seal the deal for the NCAA Season 97 finalists.
Escamis finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Cuenco registered a double-double record with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist.
Cuajao led the three-time defending champions Letran with 20 points and one rebound, while Kurt Reyson registered 16 points, four rebounds, and six assists in a losing effort.
THE SCORES:
Second game
Mapua 77 – Escamis 20, Cuenco 20, Bonifacio 11, Soriano 9, Asuncion 5, Rosillo 4, Hernandez 4, Recto 4, Bancale 0, Dalisay 0, Fornis 0
Letran 71 – Cuajao 20, Reyson 16, Santos 14, Javillonar 6, Go 6, Jumao-as 3, Ariar 22, Bojorcelo 0, Monje 0, Garupil 0, Batallier 0, Guarino 0, Fajardo 0
Quarterscores: 24-13; 49-35; 56-55; 77-71
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