MANILA, Philippines – After suffering a disappointing defeat at the hands of San Sebastian College-Recoletos three days ago, reigning 5-peat NCAA champion San Beda College returned to its winning ways on a strong note by ending Mapua Institute of Technology’s 6-game winning streak.
The Red Lions plucked the feathers of the upset-seeking Cardinals with a 75-65 victory on Friday, September 25 at the Filoil Flying V Arena as the Mendiola-based brigade’s propensity to deliver in a crucial game was evident.
Art Dela Cruz’s star shined the brightest for the red-and-white troop once again as he finished with a double-double performance of 17 markers, 14 boards and 5 dimes to secure San Beda’s position at the upper echelon of the team standings with a 12-4 record.
Meanwhile, graduating court general Baser Amer contributed to San Beda’s triumph against Mapua with 15 points and 9 rebounds.
However, San Beda’s win was not a walk in the park as the Red Lions lost a 22-point leverage when the duo of Josan Nimes and Darell Menina was able to place Mapua within striking distance, 60-61.
Nimes drilled 4 unanswered points inside the last 5 minutes, while Menina’s shooting was hot from beyond-the-arc.
Dela Cruz responded with a personal 5-0 run that was capped off by a jumper from downtown and established a 66-60 for San Beda with 3:52 remaining in the regulation.
Mapua’s import Allwell Oraeme was able to trim the lead to 3, but he fumbled a fastbreak drive and committed a crucial turnover in the last two minutes.
Oraeme and Menina mustered 15 buckets each for Mapua, which downgraded to a win-loss slate 10-6 in the ongoing double-round robin eliminations.
San Beda is seeking to get hold of either the No.1 or No. 2 spot in the Final Four to get a twice-to-beat advantage in the semi-final round, but the Red Lions have to win their next two assignments, which are against Arellano University and Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
Scores:
San Beda (75) - Dela Cruz 17, Amer 15, Tankoua 12, Tongco 12, Koga 10, Adeogun 7, Mocon 2, Cabanag 0, Soberano 0, Reyes 0, Bonsubre 0, Presbitero 0
Mapua (65) - Oraeme 15, Menina 15, Nieles 10, Nimes 9, Braña 6, Serrano 4, Isit 2, Aguirre 2, Raflores 2, Biteng 0
Quarter scores: 23-12, 41-26, 58-48, 75-65. – Rappler.com