Mapua scores thriller over JRU
Key matches in ICTSI Open
Games Tomorrow (The Arena, San Juan) 2 p.m. – Letran vs St. Benilde 4 p.m. – Perpetual vs San Beda
Mark Brana completed a three-point play with five seconds remaining as Mapua scored a thrilling 6867 victory over Jose Rizal University (JRU) and firmed up its semis bid in the NCAA basketball tournament yesterday at The Arena in San Juan.
The graduating forward recovered an air ball thrown by CJ Isit before converting the basket off a foul by the Heavy Bombers’ Abdulrazar Abdulwahab to tie the game at 67-all.
Brana then made his bonus free throw to put the Cardinals ahead, before he and his teammates forced the Heavy Bombers to give the ball to Ervin Grospe on the game’s final play as big guns Tey Teodoro and Paolo Pontejos were tightly guarded.
Grospe missed a bank shot on the last offensive play before Allwell Oraeme grabbed the rebound enough to trigger a massive Mapua celebration.
“Lucky, lucky, lucky!” exclaimed Mapua Coach Atoy Co, whose team avenged its heartbreaking 90-87 loss to JRU in the first round when Mapua blew a double-digit lead in the final three minutes.
Oraeme finished with 19 points and 27 rebounds as Mapua climbed to fifth place with a 7-5 record, moving within a game behind University of Perpetual Help, which holds the solo fourth spot at 8-4.
In the second game, Jiovanni Jalanon had 18 points as Arellano University made short work of Lyceum, 9783, to move into third place with a 9-4 record.
Brana finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, his second straight productive game after struggling heavily in the first round.
The loss was a big blow to JRU’s Final Four bid as it slipped to 6-6 record.
Oraeme 19, Biteng 12, Braña 12, Isit 6, Nimes 6, Nieles 5, Menina 4, Layug 2, Serrano 2, Aguirre 0, Que 0.
Pontejos 21, Teodoro 18, Grospe 8, Sanchez 6, Abdulwahab 4, Dela Paz 4, Cruz 3, Poutouochi 2, Astilla 1, Aurin 0, Dela Virgen 0, Lasquety 0.
Quarters: 17-13; 29-31; 49-42; 68-67.
Jalalon 18, Holts 16, Gumaru 14, Ortega 11, Salado 9, Zamora 8, Bangga 6, Cadavis 5, Meca 4, Nicholla 4, Enriquez 2, Capara 0, Ongolo 0, Tano 0.
Baltazar 19, Ayaay 16, Nguidjol 13, Marata 10, Bulawan 8, Lugo 4, Alanes 3, Malabanan 2, Soliman 2, Lacastesantos 2, Mbida 2, Elmerjab 2, Sunga 0
Quarters: 24-13; 47-32; 75-54; 97-83.
Tony Lascuña slugs it out with Jay Bayron and Elmer Salvador while Angele Que faces off with young turks Miguel Tabuena and Clyde Mondilla in early clashes of the fancied bets in the R3.5 million ICTSI Open Championship unfolding today at Wack Wack’s fabled East layout.
The six occupy the top seven places in the current Order of Merit ranking with money leader Lascuña leading Tabuena by just R28,000 and Que another R14,000 back, guaranteeing a spirited chase for the top R650,000 purse right in the first round of the 72-hole championship sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.
“It’s pressure right in the opening hole. There’s hardly room for mistakes here since all the OOM contenders are bunched together,” said Lascuña, who surged past Que with a runner-up finish in the last ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour leg at Summit won by Bayron.
Lascuña, No. 4 Salvador and the fifth-running Bayron start at 7:45 a.m. at the backside of the tight, challenging East layout, the home of the Philippine Open spruced up to championship condition for a true test of golf.
Que, winner of three Asian Tour legs, including the PH Open here in 2008, hopes to come out strong in their 11:25 a.m. flight on No. 1 where he will test Tabuena and the No. 7 Mondilla’s mettles in what promises to be an action-packed start of the 13th leg of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.