Article by: Crismhil S. Anselmo and Alexandra Isabelle G. Delavin
Graphics by: Albert Dylan D. David and Crismhil S. Anselmo
Photo by: Marcus D. Agustin
Coming off from a perfect run in the second elimination round, the Mapúa Cardinals became the first team to book a ticket to the finals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 100 Senior Men’s Basketball Tournament. The home team sank next-door neighbors Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates from the tides of title contention, 89-79, earlier today, November 23, at the Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City.
Right off the bat, both teams proved their place as final four contenders after a three-point bucket exchange in the opening minute. King Cardinal Clint Escamis christened the game with the Cards’ first point with a shot from the rainbow country.
Four minutes into the game, the reigning MVP and Rookie of the Year poured in 12 points built from two three-point shots, one from a transition layup, and three from the charity line, to mark one of his best first-quarter performances in the season.
All around effort from the team helped keep the Pirates at bay even during the surge of the opposing team’s 7-0 run towards the end of the frame. However, the red jerseys’ attempts failed to clip the Cards’ wings with Escamis’ lead, pouring 18 points to end the quarter, 29-21.
The red and gold squad went all out in the second quarter to maintain a healthy two-digit cushion over their Intramuros rival for nearly half of its duration. Locked in a trance of misfires and the Cards’ solid defense, the Pirates struggled to catch up to the home team’s lead from the previous frame.
Going against the leading fastbreak team in the league this season, the yellow jerseys gave their opponents a taste of their own medicine by scoring twice as many fastbreak points, 10-5, five minutes before the end of the quarter. Bucket exchanges and subpar free throw performance from the opposing team kept the Cards in the lead of the first half, 55-46.
The third quarter started off slow as the Cards scrambled to maintain the right tempo inside the paint as an eight-to-nothing run by the Pirates trimmed the lead down to one, 55-54. Determined to climb out of the shooting slump, Cuenco found the perfect spot beyond the arc to execute quick works and bury the team’s first basket of the quarter. However, LPU’s Renz Villegas forced a deadlock, 57-all.
No strangers to being edged back to the corner, the red and yellow squad regrouped as Yam Concepcion succeeded at the charity line, while Escamis drained a much needed two to keep the Pirates from surging ahead. The Cardinals were then forced to regroup as the buzzer ended with a slim disadvantage, 63-65.
As the determining quarter kicked off, the Cardinals’ relentless drive peaked amidst pressure as Hubilla outwitted the players on defense to drain in their first bucket, returning the momentum back to the red and yellow squad. Concepcion followed suit with more points to gain the lead back.
Now thriving in the face of adversity, the Cards went full throttle to control the game of hoops. At the 7:05 mark, Escamis further proved his place among the top players with the most steals, as he snatched the ball from the Pirates to extend the lead to five, 72-67, forcing the Pirates to call for a timeout.
With the lead on their side, no number of baskets from the Pirates were enough to stop the momentum of the Cardinals as Escamis owned the game to establish a double-digit difference and break his career high just after setting his record in the same season last September 15. As the game continued, the opponents attempted to keep up with multiple chances at the free throw line, but the Pirates’ wasted opportunities kept them from gaining control. Down to the last few seconds that could settle or extend the fight for a slot as a finals contender, Hubilla’s two successful throws from the charity stripe cracked the keel of the Pirates’ ship, 89-79, to mark their third official entry into the finals series since Season 97.
While dubbed as the top team in fast breaks, MU outplayed their opponents, tallying a total of 18 points on the break, while LPU only managed five in the battle of wit and speed. The team also recorded a whopping 68 points from starter plays and 22 points off turnovers, as the Cardinals capitalized on the Pirates’ lapses.
Crunching in another career high, reigning MVP Escamis knew no way but forward, paving the path to victory with 33 points, along with four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block. Backing him up were reliable Cardinals Hubilla and Recto with 17 and 10 points, respectively.
After locking in a slot in the finals for the second time in a row, the Mapúa Cardinals will now brace for takeoff towards the historic finals series against the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Blazers on December 1, at 2:00 PM, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Meanwhile, the LPU Pirates will go head-to-head against the San Beda University Red Lions in the Battle for Third. Games will be livestreamed on the social media pages of NCAA Philippines and GMA Sports PH.
The Scores:
MU 89 – Escamis 33, Hubilla 17, Recto 10, Mangubat 7, Concepcion 7, Cuenco 6, Igliane 4, Bancale 4, Jabonete 1, Ryan 0, Garcia 0.
LPU 79 – Bravo 20, Barba 14, Villegas 12, Guadana 12, Daileg 6, Versoza 6, Moralejo 3, Cunanan 2, Montano 2, Penafiel 2, Aviles 0.
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