Mangahas buzzer-beating triple lifts Mapua over Arellano

This appears in the Tuesday, August 2, 2011 edition of the Business Mirror.

Mangahas buzzer-beating triple lifts Mapua over Arellano

by rick olivares photo by jan dizon

With 7.5 seconds left and the game between Mapua and Arellano University tied at 70-all, Cardinals head coach Chito Victolero surveyed his bench and caught point guard Allan Mangahas’ eyes.

Mangahas gave him a pleading look – “pasok mo ako” he seemed to say – and Victolero nodded.

After teammate Josan Nimes was fouled by Chiefs guard Rocky Acidre to stop the shot clock, the Cardinals re-worked a final play. The Chiefs’ Vergel Zulueta, who earlier tied the match for the ninth and last time with a hanging runner over Jonathan Banal, tried prevent Mangahas from getting the ball but Mapua gunner Rodel Ranises set an excellent pick to free the former NCAA Rookie of the Year.

With time down to 4.2 seconds, Mangahas took the inbound and dribbled towards the top of the key. With Zulueta preventing a drive, he let loose a shot that hit the window that banked in at the buzzer for an exhilarating 73-70 win.

The joyous Cardinals rushed Mangahas on the court.

It was Mapua’s second win in six matches and rescued a season threatening to go awry. Arellano University in the meantime fell to 1-5 in Season 87 of the NCAA.

With Arellano seeming to have an answer for every Mapua salvo in the third period, Cardinals guard Jumel Chien dropped six points while center Yousef Taha scored on a putback and a one-handed jumper over Chiefs’ slotman Jerald Lapuz. Taha, nearly the goat after turning over the ball twice in the fourth period and being whistled for a technical foul after hanging onto the rim, tallied 10 points to go with 15 rebounds. His presence and ability to post up his man opened up the lane for the Cardinals. But Mangahas’ last shot was pure “diskarte” as Victolero related after the match.

“Alam ko na hindi na magfa-foul yung Arellano,” described Mangahas of the last shot. “Tinira ko na lang.”

Nimes added 16 points while Mangahas finished with 7 points but had 4 assists.

The Chiefs, who took the first three quarters, were led by Andrian Celada and Prince Caperal who both chipped in 17 points apiece.