JRU sends Perpetual Help further down the cellar while Letran collapses once more in the endgame
by rick olivares and jan dizon
The Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers survived a strong challenge from the hard-fighting Perpetual Help Altas to score a 66-55 win in their first assignment of the second round of the 86th Season of the NCAA yesterday at the San Juan Arena.
Behind the strong play and energy by George Allen and Jet Vidal, the Altas who were missing leading scorer Arnold Danganan because of a one-game suspension, who are mired at the cellar with a 0-8 record heading into the game, took a one-point lead at the half 28-27.
The Heavy Bombers regained the lead in the third but the Altas’ Raffy Ynion scored at the 3:49 mark to give his side the lead once more at 41-40. It would be their last taste of the lead as they would score only 14 points the rest of the way.
JRU responded with a 9-0 run through via three-point play by Raycon Kabigting, a trifecta by Nate Matute and a bucket by Joe Etame and the Heavy Bombers were in firm control after that.
“We had difficulty scoring early but we turned up our defense,” said Etame who scored only 7 points but had game high 11 rebounds and 3 shot blocks.
Added JRU head coach Vergel Meneses whose team went further entrenched themselves at third place in the standings with an 8-2 record and a game behind San Sebastian, “I am happy that players like Nate Matute have been stepping up. We’re going to need more of that from everyone if we want to compete with San Beda and San Sebastian.”
Matute led his team in scoring with 15 points while Kabigting added 12 and Alex Almario and John Montemayor had 10 each.
The hapless Altas fell to a 0-9 hole for their 18th straight loss dating back to last season. Allen and Vidal paced their team with 14 points each.
In the main match of the Wednesday double header, the Mapua Cardinals arrested their two-game slide with a pulsating come from behind 63-60 win over the Letran Knights in the main game yesterday.
Graduating Cardinal Macky Acosta scored five points in the last 15 seconds -- a huge triple off an offensive rebound and two free throws -- to complete the rally from being 14-points down late in the fourth quarter.
Letran led by 14 points 58-44 with 3:36 left to play following a Kevin Alas layup. But a few seconds later, Alas committed a blocking foul on Acosta for his fifth and final foul. Acosta made his free throws and the comeback was officially on.
In the midst of a searing run to get back in the game, Cardinal Erwin Cornejo rifled in a pair of trifectas before Acosta's heroics.
The Knights actually had a chance to still wrangle out a win but Franz Dysam missed four free throws including two with Mapua breathing down their necks at 60-58. Letran had trouble finding the bottom of the basket with Alas' graduation due to fouls as they were held scoreless in the final 88 seconds of the match.
Cornejo led Mapua with 18 points while TG Guillermo and Acosta each had 11. For Letran, Alas scored 13 while Dysam had 10.
The win put Mapua at 6-4 and got them back in the hunt for the last seat in the Final Four while Letran's campaign is teetering on the brink with a 3-7 record.
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