MANILA, Philippines – Mapua may just be peaking at the perfect time.
The Cardinals completed a sweep of the second round to claim the No. 1 spot with a 15-3 record after wrapping up the eliminations with a 75-69 victory over the Arellano Chiefs in the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday, November 16, at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Mapua star Clint Escamis and rookie sensation Chris Hubilla took turns and finished with 12 points each, while Marc Cuenco chipped in 11 points.
As the top seed, the Cardinals will head to the Final Four with a twice-to-beat advantage against No. 4 Lyceum Pirates, who claimed the last semis seat just a day earlier after stunning the St. Benilde Blazers.
By claiming No. 1, the Cardinals also evade the dangerous San Beda Red Lions, the defending champions who edged Mapua in last year’s finals series.
Second-ranked St. Benilde (14-4) and No. 2 San Beda (10-7) tangle in the other semifinal pairing.
“We’re going to rest, but of course, there’s LPU which came from a very good win,” Mapua coach Randy Alcantara said in Filipino. “We should double our Final Four preparation, even triple the effort, and as much as possible, [we come in with] fresh legs.”
If Mapua returns to the finals, the team will go for another shot at ending its 33-year title wait.
Arellano, meanwhile, bowed out at seventh place with a 7-11 record.
The Scores
Mapua 75- Hubilla 12, Escamis 12, Cuenco 11, Recto 8, Garcia 8, Mangubat 7, Concepcion 6, Bancale 5, Igliane 3, Jabonete 3, Fermin 0, Abdulla 0.
Arellano 69- Geronimo 15, Ongotan 13, Capulong 10, Hernal 10, Borromeo 7, Miller 3, Camay 3, Vinoya 2, Abiera 2, Rosalin 2, Espiritu 0, De Leon 0, Libang 0, Estacio 0.
Quarters: 22-10, 34-24, 57-44, 75-69.
– Rappler.com