Lions check Cardinals, extend win to seven

San Beda rebounded strong from a shaky start then went to Davon Potts and Robert Bolick in the stretch as the Red Lions turned back the Mapua Cardinals, 85-74, yesterday to stretch their unbeaten run to seven in the 92nd NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.

Potts drilled in a pair of triples in the fourth and finished with 25 points while Bolick came away with two key jumpers late in the game and fell just two assists short of completing a triple-double performance with 10 points and 12 rebounds to fend off the Cardinals and power the Lions to another win and two games closer to joint second running the Letran Knights and their victim.

“We knew they’re going to come back strong, good thing the players kept their composure,” said San Beda coach Jamike Jarin.

The Cardinals actually pounced on the Lions’ erratic start and took a 20-16 lead after 10 minutes. But the Mendiolabased squad struck back in the second, outscoring their rivals, 29- 15, to grab a 10-point lead at the turn before holding sway at the resumption.

Reigning MVP Allwell Oraeme fired 21 points and pulled down 20 rebounds but the Cardinals sorely missed the services of skipper CJ Isit, who injured a finger in their last outing and is out for the next four weeks.

With Bolick orchestrating the plays and Potts supplying the firepower, the Lions raced to as many as 20 points early in the fourth. But the Cardinals refused to give up and fought back to within six points with less than two minutes to go in the contest.

But Potts and Bolick hit a pair of clutch baskets to quell the Cardinals’ uprising, enabling the Lions to extend their run.

Earlier, defending champion Letran rode on Rey Nambatac’s clutch jumpers as it thwarted Jose Rizal U, 67-62, and gained a share of second with Mapua at 5-2.

Nambatac uncorked a game-best 29 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, as the Knights stole the win after trailing majority of the way.

The win also atoned for Letran’s 55-61 setback to Perpetual Help (4-2) last week. The loss halted Letran’s own four-game streak.