Article by: Albert L. Dela Cruz Jr. and Crismhil S. Anselmo
Graphics by: Albert Dylan D. David
Photo by: Blaise Paulhene O. Rellata
With a fresh buzzcut and replenished artillery, the Mapúa University (MU) Cardinals emerged from the barracks with newfound grit in a close battle against the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals, granting the team its first win in their National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) centennial campaign today, September 11, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Out for blood from their opening day defeat, the Cards christened the game with a fast start owed to JC Recto’s three-pointer and perfect free throws to keep the opponents at bay. Denying the Generals’ attempts to recover, the home team ended the first quarter with a healthy 11-point lead, 24-13.
While the white jerseys regained footing come the second frame with two triples, King Cardinal Clint Escamis ended the two-and-a-half-minute drought with a shot just beyond the paint. The Cards continued to find their pace and were left with only one field goal for the next three minutes before Rookie Lawrence Mangubat, also known by his moniker “The Lefty,” took the spotlight after letting loose from beyond the arc.
Dropping three markers from downtown, Mangubat forced the Generals to change up their gameplan from a zone defense to a man-to-man scheme to finish the half with nine points.
Led by the captain’s eight points and Recto’s seven, the starters dropped 21 points by halftime, securing a 12-point cushion against their adversaries, 39-27.
The Generals continued to slug it out in the third frame of the game, forcing a two-minute Cardinal drought that slashed the lead to four, 41-37. Entering the second half with the same mentality in the first, Recto quickly splashed a three-pointer upon entering the field at the six-minute mark to get the Cardinals back on the scoring track.
Battling it out point after point, the Cardinals maintained a 10-point advantage before The Lefty cashed in another three-pointer to register Mapúa’s biggest lead of the game, 52-39. However, General King Gurtiza drained a half-court heave that regained their chances in the game, 56-48.
Coming up from the trenches, the Generals were hoping for a resurgence towards the end of the game, forcing an intense battle for possession. In the heated skirmish on the hardwood court, Recto was ejected in the opening minutes of the final quarter after receiving a disqualifying foul.
Swinging the momentum to their favor, the Generals rallied a five to nothing run against the Intramuros-based squad but Mangubat denied the opponents’ attempt to even the playing field, burying another triple to stifle the red and white’s hopes for a comeback.
The red and gold struggled in the final period of play, with Chris Hubilla forced to tap out from foul trouble. With two key players ejected, the Generals saw an opportunity to turn the game around. However, the red and gold squad’s relentlessness proved to be too much for the Paco-based squad as the Cards left their hearts broken after prevailing over them, 69-66.
Mangubat turned the tides of war with his 15 points, all coming exclusively from the three-point territory, earning him the title of Best Player of the Game.
In an interview with The New Builder after his brilliant performance, Mangubat shared his gratitude towards his teammate and coaches, "Thankful, kasi ‘yung tiwala na binibigay ng mga coaches at teammates ko, kumpyansa lang sa sarili, at alam kong [pinagtrabahuhan] ko 'yang mga tira ko." Mangubat shared as he slowly gains confidence to compete at the collegiate level.
The Cardinals will seek to establish a winning streak as they face off the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) Altas on September 15, at 2:30 PM, at the same venue. The succeeding games will air on GTV with live streaming on the social media platforms of NCAA Philippines and GMA Sports PH.
The Scores:
MU 69 – Mangubat 15, Recto 12, Escamis 10, Hubilla 9, Cuenco 6, Igliane 6, Jabonete 6, Bancale 4, Ryan 1, Agemenyi 0, Concepcion 0, Fermin 0
EAC 66 – Pagsanjan 14, Gurtiza 11, Oftana 8, Loristo 6, Bagay 6, Lucero 5, Bacud 4, Doromal 4, Quinal 4, Ochavo 2, Manacho 1, Devera 1, Umpad 0, Luciano 0, Angeles 0
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