By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Games Wednesday
(Filoil EcoOil Centre)
11 a.m. – Arellano vs Letran
2:30 p.m. – San Beda vs CSB
6 p.m. – SSCR vs Mapua
Lyceum rode on a blistering 16-1 run midway in the payoff period to turn back Emilio Aguinaldo College, 74-65, and book at least a playoff for the remaining Final Four berth in NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Trailing 54-49 with 6:07 left in the game, the Pirates unleashed their offensive assault anchored on John Barba and Jonathan Daileg to grab the 65-55 upperhand and never looked back.
The victory extended Lyceum’s winning run to three games and hiked its win-loss record to 9-8 for solo fourth. It also dealt EAC its ninth defeat against eight losses to tie with Letran at fifth to sixth places.
The Pirates also moved on the cusp of completing the semifinal cast that already has the College of St. Benilde Blazers, the Mapua Cardinals and the defending champion San Beda Red Lions, while also avenged their 90-88 first-round defeat to the Generals last Sept. 29.
While Renz Villegas paced Lyceum with 12 points and six boards, it was Daileg who stepped up in the pivotal fourth quarter where he poured all his 11 points including in that crucial run. He also hauled three boards and two assists in only 19 minutes of action.
Mclaude Gaudana chipped in 10 points and five boards, while Barba scattered seven of his nine points also in the final final period while collaring nine rebounds.
Top gun JM Bravo, who was returning from a headbutt incident a few weeks ago, only played for 14 minutes, but his lone two-point output was part of that scintillating blitz that turned things around for the Pirates.
They overshadowed the efforts of Harvey Pagsanjan and King Gurtiza for the Generals, who scored 16 and 14 points in a losing cause.
The scores:
LYCEUM 74 – Villegas 12, Daileg 11, Guadaña 10, Barba 9, Versoza 9, Cunanan 8, Peñafiel 5, Aviles 4, Montaño 2, Bravo 2, Moralejo 2, Panelo 0, Paulo 0, Pallingayan 0, Gordon 0.
EAC 65 – Pagsanjan 16, Gurtiza 14, Lucero 8, Bagay 7, Quinal 5, Loristo 5, Oftana 4, Luciano 4, Umpad 2, Ochavo 0, Jacob 0, Doromal 0, Bacud 0.
Quarters: 20-16; 30-27; 43-45; 74-65.
