Article by: Albert L. Dela Cruz Jr.
Graphics by: Albert Dylan D. David
For the first time since Game One of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 99 Finals, the Mapúa Cardinals tamed the San Beda University (SBU) Red Lions, avenging their loss during the second round of the centennial season, held today, October 20, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Both teams displayed heightened intensity from the get-go, with the score remaining under double digits minutes into the first quarter, before Mapúa's Chris Hubilla started to heat up, draining a triple to give the red and gold an offensive push. The first year phenom then drained two free throws, while Cardinal big man Marc Igliane made a three-pointer of his own to give the Cardinals an early lead, 14-5.
Hubilla continued his onslaught against his former team in the Junior's division, grabbing a rebound and quickly powering his way through traffic to convert two quick points. While the Red Lions roared back at the Cardinals by pouncing at every possession to cut the lead by four, the red and gold squad maintained the lead at the end of the first frame, 16-12.
Coming into the second quarter, the Cardinals struggled in the opening minutes, with their opponents retaking the lead after forcing the red and gold to remain scoreless. With the momentum swinging for the Red Lions, Hubilla had to force his way into the paint to retake the upper hand, 18-17.
The scores continued to swing between the two squads, but with Hubilla at the helm for the Cardinals, the red and gold capitalized on their momentum to enter the second half with a nine-point advantage, 32-23.
King Cardinal Clint Escamis started to make his presence felt in the third quarter. Showing off his high basketball IQ, the reigning MVP read the Mendiola-based squad's offensive play to steal the ball and cash in an easy fastbreak lay-up to establish a 13-point lead, 36-23.
As the battle continued to heat up, the two teams remained unrelenting in every sequence of the game. Cardinals’ Veteran Cyrus Cuenco went down at the 2:23 mark of the third quarter after a rough collision with the Red Lion's big man Bismarck Lina, but the squad remained unfazed and kept their sights on winning the game.
Meanwhile, the King Cardinal continued to make his shots, sinking a two-pointer pull up in traffic, but the Red Lions mustered their strength to fight back, with their team captain Yukien Andrada sinking a three-pointer to cut the lead to eight. In a crucial possession, Escamis let the ball fly at the corner to answer Andrada's three-pointer and maintain the red and gold's double-digit lead.
The Cardinals then went under a scoring drought as their lead that went as high as 14 shrank to single digits in the dying minutes. In danger of snapping their winning streak, Cuenco once again stepped up in clutch time, sinking a step-back three-pointer from downtown to give a two-possession lead for the Cardinals, 49-45. However, after multiple empty possessions from the Cardinals, the Red Lions managed to claw their way into a 49-51 lead.
As the end drew closer, Cuenco sank another cold-blooded triple to retake the lead, 52-51. The Cardinal veteran continued his fourth quarter takeover as he attacked the paint to attract all defenders, before passing the ball to Rookie Yam Concepcion, who made a timely three-pointer to help in securing the win, 58-55.
Hubilla’s steady presence on the court and Cuenco’s late game heroics paved the way for the Cardinals winning its final game against the SBU Red Lions in the elims round. After registering his career high last game, Hubilla secured another Player of the Game plum with 17 points, backed up by nine boards, and two dimes. Meanwhile, Cuenco proved to be a reliable veteran with his 11-point performance.
The tale of the game lies in the stat sheets as Mapúa outrebounded the Mendiola-based by 51-31. Moreover, the home team managed to convert 20 second chance points, showing the Cardinals’ hunger for victory continuing to rise deep into the season.
Holding the solo second spot with a four-game winning streak, the Cardinals will face the Arellano University Chiefs on October 25, at 2:30 PM, at the same venue. All games are aired on GTV, with livestreaming on the social media pages of NCAA Philippines and GMA Sports PH.
The Scores:
MU 58 – Hubilla 17, Cuenco 11, Escamis 7, Abdulla 5, Recto 4, Mangubat 4, Jabonete 4, Concepcion 3, Igliane 3.
SBU 55 – Sajonia 12, Puno 11, Andrada 9, Estacio 6, Songcuya 6, Lina 6, Payosing 3, Tagle 2.
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