Mapua University returned to its strengths and took full advantage as they trounced skidding De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, 84-65, in the NCAA Season 97 men's basketball tournament on Tuesday.
The Cardinals made the Blazers pay with their scorching offense, particularly from long range, to gain solo third place with a 5-2 card while the latter dropped to fourth place with a 4-3 card behind back-to-back losses.
Brian Lacap scored 22 points, alongside four rebounds and four steals, to lead Mapua to the victory while Paolo Hernandez added 17 markers and seven boards.
The two also combined to shoot 8-for-14 (57.1-percent) from three, knocking down four apiece. Rence Nocum also finished with 14 points and hit two threes to help the cause.
The Cardinals, as a team, made 12-of-33 (36.4-percent) as opposed to just 1-for-18 (5.6-percent) for the Blazers. The win came days after Mapua edged University of Perpetual Help System DALTA—a game where they nailed a whopping 16 three-pointers.
Lacap led Mapua's third quarter barrage, scoring 10 points, highlighted by two triples, to fuel a 13-5 blitz as they led CSB by 17, 52-35. Though CSB found some answers through AJ Benson, Mapua still enjoyed a 62-47 cushion at the end of the frame.
CSB continued to pour in punches in the payoff period, even inching closer to Mapua by 11 points, 57-68. But back-to-back buckets from downtown by Hernandez basically put the game away in favor of Mapua, 74-58.
Prior to their huge second half, the Cardinals saw a tight contest in the first two quarters after a tied affair in the opening period at 19. The wards of head coach Randy Alcantara, though, created some space after igniting for a 15-0 run to open the second canto, 34-19.
During that run, Lacap fired two of his team's four triples as CSB continued to struggle to connect. CSB then countered with an 11-5 blitz to end the first half behind by just nine, 30-39.
Will Gozum led the Blazers with team-highs of 13 points, 14 rebounds, and two blacks, but backcourt star Robi Nayve was held to just six points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field and 0-for-9 from three in the loss.
A tough next assignment awaits for Mapua as it will tangle with San Beda University on Saturday while CSB squares off with San Sebastian College-Recoletos the day before.
The scores:
Mapua 84 - Lacap 22, Hernandez 17, Nocum 14, Agustin 9, Gamboa 8, Pido 6, Mercado 4, Bonifacio 4, Asuncion 0, Salenga 0, Milan 0, Garcia 0, Soriano 0.
Saint Benilde 65 - Gozum 13, Corteza 11, Benson 10, Carlos 8, Nayve 6, Davis 5, Marcos 4, Cullar 4, Lepalam 3, Flores 1, Mosqueda 0, Sangco 0, Publico 0, Lim 0.
Quarters: 19-19, 39-30, 62-47, 84-65.
—JMB, GMA News
