AT the end of the day, San Beda made the free throws that mattered. Mapua did not.
The Red Lions averted a disastrous deja vu, warding off the Cardinals, 61-57, to grab a share of the Group A lead inNCAA Season 102 on Thursday at Playtime Filoil Centre in San Juan.
RC Calimag nailed the game-sealing freebies with 8.3 seconds left to thwart a spirited fourth quarter Cardinals rally and come away with the victory, making up for the defending champions' 55-54 first round defeat last Sept. 28.
But that almost wasn't to be, especially after San Beda lost grip of an 11-point lead after Cy Cuenco caught fire and brought Mapua back within three, 57-54, with 1:58 left.
That was when the battle shifted to the charity stripe, with the Red Lions making four of their last six to escape with the W.
Worse, the three-ball abandoned the Cardinals late, with Cuenco and Ivan Lazarte bungling what would have been game-tying three-pointers in the clutch.
"I was just reminding the players to focus on the things we can control which is hold strong with the ball and don't mind the calls. I think we're able to get crucial rebounds and crucial stops and made the free throws in the end," said coach Yuri Escueta.
Daniel Marcelo paced San Beda with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two assists in an emotional game, dedicating the win to his late grandmother who passed away on this exact same day nine years ago.
"I know that she's looking up above," he said.
Taking charge for Torculas
JC Bonzalida went two boards shy of a double-double with his 10 and eight, as Bismarck Lina contributed nine points and six rebounds to annex the Red Lions' win streak to three for an 8-3 standing.
Those more than made up for Aldous Torculas' sour 1-of-10 shooting, as he only got four points. But the MVP contender still had his part on defense with seven boards and two blocks.
Cuenco's nuclear fourth quarter where he fired 11 of his 23 points kept Mapua in the thick of things after being held to just six points in the third frame. He shot 5-of-15 from deep on top of his three boards.
Yam Concepcion also notched a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds in the Cardinals' second straight loss in the second round to slide to a 6-5 card.
The Scores:
SAN BEDA 61 - Marcelo 16, Bonzalida 10, Lina 9, RC. Calimag 7, Jamora 6, Torculas 4, Hawkins 3, Sarigumba 2, Puno 2, Ugaddan 1, Etulle 1, Jalbuena 0, Ri. Calimag 0.
MAPUA 57 - Cuenco 23, Concepcion 12, M. Nitura 6, Igliane 4, Diaz 3, Lazarte 3, Dones 2, Razon 2, Reyes 2, L. Nitura 0, Mendoza 0, Bernabe 0, Ryan 0.
Quarters: 12-17, 23-30, 45-36, 61-57.
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