Article by: Liana Marie V. Cahinhinan, Marco R. Sunga, and Albert L. Dela Cruz Jr.
Graphics by: Albert Dylan D. David
Seeking redemption after falling short in the previous year, the Mapúa University Cardinals are eyeing the championship title once again. With a final standing of 6-3 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 100 Men’s Basketball round one eliminations, the red and gold settled for third after showcasing an amazing run from September 7 to October 8 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre and Mall of Asia Arena.
To start off the first round, the Mapúa Cardinals met eye-to-eye with an old rival as they faced the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Blazers in a heated match on September 7 for a remake of the semi-finals of the previous season. The Cards immediately soared high as they pulled off an early nine-point lead at the start of the match against the Blazers. However, their amazing start was met with challenges before the Intramuros-based squad faltered to close the game with the Blazers turning the tides in the fourth quarter and ultimately ending the game. The Cardinals then absorbed their first defeat of the season, 65-78.
After the tough loss to the Blazers, the Cardinals regrouped and entered their second game with renewed determination against the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals on September 11. Tipping off with high intensity, the home squad secured a 13-point lead against the Generals during the second half. Though the Cardinals lost key players in the final quarter – JC Recto due to ejection, and Chris Hubilla due to foul trouble – First year phenom Lawrence Mangubat stepped up his game to deliver five three-pointers to earn him the Best Player of the Game title and give the Intramuros-based squad its first win of the season with a final score of 69-66.
With the winning momentum on their side, the Mapúa Cardinals were determined to dribble their way towards getting back-to-back victories against the then-undefeated University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Altas for their third game, held last September 15. King Cardinal and reigning MVP Clint Escamis took charge by showering the arena with a career-high 28 points, dominating both ends of the court with key rebounds, assists, and steals to ultimately prevent the Altas from penetrating the Cards’ defenses. With the combined forces of Mapúa’s finest, Cyrus Cuenco, Marc Igliane, John Jabonete, and Chris Hubilla, the red and gold squad finished off the rally inside the court with a final score of 71-65 as they handed the Altas their first loss of the season.
The Mapúa Cardinals faced another rival for their fourth game as they took on the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights in the Battle of Intramuros. Focused on their defense, the Mapúa jerseys walled off the Knights’ offensive plans to end the first half of the game with 38-28. Despite a strong push from the Knights in the final minutes, free throws from Jeco Bancale and Escamis sealed the Cardinals’ victory with a final score of 77-62, to successfully extend their winning momentum and improve their record to a 3-1 standing. Rookie Cardinal Chris Hubilla shone as the Player of the Game after registering a double-double in the game with 18 points and 12 rebounds under his name.
After having three consecutive wins, the Mapúa Cardinals skirmished with the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates in a close game last September 24. The matchup was intense from the get-go, with both teams exchanging buckets to end the half, 45-39. However, the Pirates’ halftime adjustments hoisted their sails for a dominant second half against the home team, forcing the Intramuros-based squad to endure its second loss with 81-96 score. Despite the loss, Sophomore Cardinal Jeco Bancale had an outstanding performance as he led the Cards with 14 points on 83.3% shooting, while Escamis and Hubilla managed to pull off 13 points apiece. Cyrus Cuenco and Lawrence Mangubat chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.
In an attempt to regain the right rhythm, the Mapúa Cardinals locked horns with San Sebastian College-Recoletos Golden Stags last September 27. By halftime, the Cardinals dominated the paint, scoring 22 of their 39 points from the inside, while also limiting the Stags to just four points inside the paint by the end of the second quarter. The home team continued to take total control of the game, outscoring the SSC-R in the last two quarters to win the ball game, 91-72.
With his consistent presence inside the court, Cyrus Cuenco earned the Best Player of the Game plum after dropping his career high of 26 points despite just scoring nine points in the first half, along with three rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. Meanwhile,
King Cardinal Escamis led the charge in the first half, chipping in 14 markers in the first two periods of the regulation, and ending the game with 25 points, four boards, four assists, and two steals.
Determined to stay on the winning track, the Cardinals delivered a fiery performance against the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers right from the opening quarter, with the team exploding for 32 points in the first period to build a huge lead by halftime, 57-41. While the Mandaluyong-based team forced multiple late-game runs to slash the lead into a single digit, the Cardinals were able to escape their foes’ adjustments, 88-8l, to collect their fifth win of the season.
Escamis maintained his high-caliber performance, logging in 19 points, along with four rebounds. He was closely followed by Mangubat with 16 points and Hubilla with 15 points.
After finding the right momentum, the Mapúa Cardinals faced off with the Arellano University Chiefs. In a closely contested matchup, the two teams battled it off on both ends of the court. A total of nine lead changes and six deadlocks pushed the crowd to the edge of their seats. During the break, the red and gold held a four-point lead, 41-37. The Chiefs bounced back in the third frame, outscoring the Cards 10-17 to enter the final period of the regulation, 51-54. However, the Mapúa jerseys displayed true Mapúan grit as they clawed their way out of the hole, soaring to a 26-point explosion in crunch time to end the game with a dominant 77-71 win. Escamis padded the stat sheet with 15 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and four steals, followed by Hubilla and Cuenco as the key contributors to the play, who chipped in 15 and 10 markers, respectively.
In their last game of the first round, the Cardinals clashed with the San Beda University Red Lions in an anticipated finals rematch. The red and gold built an early lead after a momentous first half, 38-30. However, the second half witnessed both squads’ heated exchange to force the game to overtime. Still on the lookout to avenge their finals loss, Mapúa left everything on the court that started with Cuenco’s basket to keep the game alive for their team. Ultimately, the Cards were unable to stop the Red Lions from clawing their way to victory, ending their last game for the first round, 69-76.
With the first elimination round of the NCAA Season 100 Basketball Tournament all wrapped up, reigning MVP Clint Escamis continues to lead the charge for the Mapúa Cardinals, cementing his place among the statistical leaders. Currently, Escamis ranks second in both scoring and steals, averaging 17.44 points and 2.22 steals per game, while also placing fifth in assists with 4.11 per game. The King Cardinal’s dominant play earned him three “Player of the Game” titles in the first round, joined by Mangubat, Hubilla, andCuenco, who each received one.
Entering the second round,the Mapúa Cardinals are determined to rise in the standings and secure their place for a shot at the NCAA Season 100 Men’s Basketball championship in the historic centennial season.
They are scheduled to take on the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers later today, at 2:30 PM, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, with livestreaming on the official Facebook and YouTube pages of the NCAA Philippines and GMA Sports PH.
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