Mapua edges Perpetual Help, 72-71, shares NCAA junior basketball lead with Junior Altas and Letran
GAMES WEDNESDAY
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
8 a.m. — CSB vs SSC-R
10 a.m. — AU vs Letran
12 p.m. — EAC vs San Beda
2:30 p.m. — UPHSD vs JRU
4:30 p.m. — LPU vs Mapua
MAPUA University came into its highly anticipated showdown with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) junior basketball’s highest scoring team in University Perpetual Help (UPHSD) hoping its defense — the league’s best — would continue to produce dividends.
It did yesterday after the Red Robins strangled the Junior Altas with their shackling defense and eked out a heart-pounding 72-71 victory that snared them a piece of the lead in Season 99 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena. Mapua held UPHSD to the latter’s season-low output after coming into the duel averaging 94 points a game.
It started when the Red Robins threw the anvil on a usually prolific Amiel Acido, UPHSD’s best scorer with a norm of 17.2 points an outing but could only muster six points on this one.
The win catapulted Mapua to the top alongside UPHSD and defending champion Letran, an 83-69 victor over Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) earlier, on identical 5-1 records.
Lawrence Mangubat led Mapua with 25 points, 11 of which came in the fourth quarter when they dismantled UPHSD’s 10-point lead and transformed it into victory.
In contrast, Colegio de San Juan de Letran made its move early and, with stellar play on both ends, held on to the lead like a leech and never looked back.
Moses Manalili had a gamebest 15 points while Jolo Navarro, George Diamante and Jovel Baliling chipped in 14, 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Brigadiers dropped to 2-4. — Joey Villar
The scores:
First Game
Letran 83 — Manalili 15, Navarro 14, Diamante 12, Baliling 11, Padilla 8, Reyes 7, Hugo 6, Gazzingan 4, Villanueva 3, De Leon 3, Cruz 0, Paguio 0, Alforque 0, Quijada 0
EAC 69 — Castillo 28, Coronel 10, Asay 8, Graham 7, Campana 4, Lumbo 4, Razo 4, Mariquit 2, Luna 1, Tecson 1, Bautista 0, Canonigo 0
Quarterscores: 27-13; 47-35; 65-55; 83-69
Second Game
Mapua 72 — Mangubat 25, Salvador 13, Masiglat 11, Valina 6, Duque 5, Mulingtapang 5, Rodriguez 3, Gragasin 2, Palistas 1, Malaga 1, Mananquil 0, Go 0
UPHSD 71 — Borja 18, Daep 15, Gojo Cruz 11, Valencia 6, Acido 6, Pagulayan 4, Ayon 4, Asuncion 3, Callangan 2, Baldoria 2
Quarterscores: 21-18; 33-36; 49-59; 72-71