LPU Pirates scuttle EAC in Filoil tilt

LPU Pirates scuttle EAC in Filoil tilt

by rick olivares

The Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates bounced back from their loss last week to Far Eastern University with an 86-64 win over Emilio Aguinaldo College in the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. 

The Pirates’ transferees from San Sebastian College – Jayson David, Rhanzelle Yong, and Renzo Navarro – presided over a huge blitz that bridged the first and second quarters that had EAC reeling. The trio scored their team’s first 24 points while helping limit the Generals to 10 points in the first 13 minutes of the match.

LPU hiked their lead to a high of 27 points, 60-33, following two free throws by Filipino-Australian forward-center Jerwyn Guinto with a minute to play in the third frame.

The Generals, however, showed the fight in them when they opened the final quarter with a 19-6 run behind JP Maguliano’s six points, 69-57, time down to 5:19.

Pirates head coach Topex Robinson sent back in Nzeusseu to quell the uprising and he quickly attacked the post to score on Maguliano, 71-57. Yancy Remulla’s triple was sandwich by four more Nzeusseu points to end EAC’s ideas of an endgame rally as they succumbed to an 86-64 setback, their fourth in five matches.

Jayson David led LPU to its fourth win in five games with 14 points. Mike Nzeusseu added 13 while Jeff Santos chipped in 12 with all his points coming from three-point bombs.

Kely Gurtiza led the hard-luck EAC Generals with 16 points. Kyle Carlos added 12 with Maguliano finishing with 10.

Robinson was happy with the bounce back win saying the loss to FEU “was an eye opener for us.” LPU’s coach used 15 players who all chipped in some statistical way. “We want to give everyone chances to play to see what they can do,” he added of his team’s effort. “Some might say that why gamble to allow EAC back in the game, but the Generals also have a good team in the making.”

LPU shot an incredible 50% from the field but were miserable from the free throw line where they were 13-23 for 57%. “That is something we really have to work on,” added Robinson of his team’s shooting form from 15-feet away.