Mapua beats JRU, shares second place in NCAA 100

Games on Tuesday
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
11 a.m. – SSC-R vs CSB
2:30 p.m. – Letran vs San Beda

MAPUA continued to show it’s a legitimate title contender as it floored Jose Rizal University (JRU), 88-81, Sunday to jump back to second place in NCAA Season 100 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

The Cardinals drew strength from their balanced offensive with reigning MVP Clint Escamis spearheading the charge with 19 points, six of which came in the fourth quarter that helped crush the Bombers’ late resistance.

Lawrence Mangubat, Chris Hubilla, Marc Cuenco and Jeco Bancale likewise came through as they chipped in 16, 15, 13 and 10 points, respectively, as the Cardinals zoomed to No. 2 alongside the Letran Knights with identical 5-2 cards.

It was a complete show of force for the Cardinals, out to try again for that first title in more than three decades after coming close in a painful finals defeat a season ago, as they made their move early and built enough cushion to weather whatever storm the Bombers would whip up late.

And JRU did as it valiantly and furiously fought back from as big as a 23-point deficit, 42-19, that came early in the second period down to just five, 71-66, around two and a half minutes gone by the final period on a booming trey by its bull-strong captain Joshua Guiab.

It proved to be the Bombers’ last show of force as Mr. Escamis and the steel-willed Cardinals persevered in preserving the triumph.

The Bombers stumbled to 2-5. — Joey Villar

The scores:

First Game

Mapua 88 – Escamis 19, Mangubat 16, Hubilla 15, Cuenco 13, Bancale 10, Jabonete 4, Igliane 4, Concepcion 4, Garcia 3, Ryan 0, Fermin 0, Agemenyi 0, Pantaleon 0

JRU 81 -– Guiab 17, Panapanan 15, Raymundo 11,  Argente 11, Benitez 4, Garcia 4, Mosqueda 2, Barrera 2, De Leon 1, Ramos 0, Samontanes 0, Sarmiento 0, Ferrer 0

Quarter scores: 32-18; 57-41; 71-57; 88-81