BY KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Games Friday
(Filoil EcoOil Centre)
12 noon – Arellano vs CSB
2:30 p.m. – JRU vs EAC
Clint Escamis scattered 12 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter as Mapua survived the late rally of Arellano, 77-71, to remain at second place in NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
The reigning Most Valuable Player eased the pressure for the Cardinals when he scored on a fastbreak play, 74-71, with 16.3 ticks left.
Mapua held pn to its lead with Chris Hubilla splitting his charities and Escamis shooting another jumper that all but sealed the game.
The victory hiked the Cardinals’ record to a 6-2 – just half a game behind idle pacesetter College of St. Benilde (6-1).
Escamis, who saw action in 34 minutes, also grabbed five rebounds and dished out eight assists and four steals as Mapua also extended its winning streak to three games after bowing to Lyceum last week.
Hubilla chipped in 15 points and eight boards, while, Marc Cuenco added 10 points for the Cardinals.
Almost given up for the dead, the Chiefs energized their supporters when they dropped a 10-1 run to cut a 12-point deficit to only three, 72-69, courtesy of Lorenz Capulong.
But Escamis rose to the occasion and led the team’s courageous stand that scuttled Arellano’s last-ditch rally.
Arellano, which came into the game fresh off an upset win over defending champion San Beda over the weekend, slipped to 2-6.
Capulong had 19 points, while Renzo Abiera had a career-high 18 points spiked by four treys, but their efforts were not enough.
The scores:
MAPUA 77 – Escamis 15, Hubilla 15, Cuenco 10, Mangubat 9, Concepcion 7, Igliane 6, Fermin 5, Jabonete 4, Bancale 2, Ryan 2, Agemenyi 2.
ARELLANO 71 – Capulong 19, Abiera 18, Camay 11, Ongotan 6, Vinoya 6, Hernal 4, Miller 3, Libang 3, Valencia 1, Geronimo 0, Borromeo 0, Estacio 0, Acop 0, Dela Cruz 0.
Quarters: 19-19; 41-37; 51-54; 77-71.
