MAPUA got its act together in the nick of time to down defending NCAA men’s basketball champion San Beda, 58-55, Sunday before a fullhouse crowd at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
A short but telling 8-0 blast inside the final three minutes was all the Cardinals needed to create separation between them and the rallying Red Lions and regain control in the tightly-fought contest.
Cyrus Cuenco sparked that run with a three-pointer before Yam Concepcion hit another 3 from the right corner and CJ Recto sidestepped for a two as Mapua took a 57-51 lead with 66 seconds remaining.
Hubilla shows way
Rookie Chris Hubilla torched his former team with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Cuenco had 11 on 3-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc to help the Cardinals notch a fourth wins in a nine-day span.
Mapua improved to 10-3 and remained just a game away from league- leader College of St. Benilde (10-2), while avenging its 76-69 overtime loss to the Red Lions during their first-round meeting.
“Gusto ko silang makalaban. Ibang kalaban yung champion. Madami kang matututunan sa kanila. Manalo ka man o matalo,” said Hubilla.
“Sobrang thankful na nanalo kami ngayon, pero hindi pa kami contented.”
The Cardinals also hammered the Red Lions off the boards, 51-31, including 25 offensively, a number of which came down the stretch and helped the team keep the reigning champions at bay.
They also held a huge 20-2 lead on second-chance points.
“Yung hustle, yung big heart, yung pagkuha ng offensive rebounds, walang scouting yan,” said Mapua coach Randy Alcantara. “Sabi ko nga lagi sa kanila, ang masipag kapatid ng suwerte.”
San Beda, now 8-5, scored the first five points of the game, but Mapua came back behind a 16-0 run to control the tempo of the match.
The Red Lions fell by as many as 40-26 in the third quarter until they came alive late in the period and engaged the Cardinals in a dogfight heading home.
Bryan Sajonia finished with 12 points and scored on a looping layup with 3:23 to go that gave the Red Lions the lead, 51-49.
But Cuenco quickly gave the lead back to Mapua behind that booming three pointer that instigated the late Cardinals charge.
Jomel Puno was the only other player in double figures for San Beda with 11. The team lost big Bismarck Lina late in the third period following an unsportsmanlike foul when he was caught sneaking a punch to Cuenco's body.
The scores:
Mapua (58) - Hubilla 17, Cuenco 11, Escamis 7, Abdulla 5, Recto 4, Mangubat 4, Jabonete 4, Concepcion 3, Igliane 3, Bancale 0, Fermin 0.
San Beda (55) - Sajonia 12, Puno 11, Andrada 9, Estacio 6, Songcuya 6, Lina 6, Payosing 3, Tagle 2, Royo 0, Calimag 0, Bonzalida 0.
Quarterscores: 16-12; 32-23; 46-40; 58-55.
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