Jose Rizal University nearly squandered a huge lead, but averted a meltdown to deny a San Beda University comeback, 83-80, in the NCAA Season 98 on Tuesday.
Agem Miranda led the Heavy Bombers with 21 points while John Amores added 19 markers. Joshua Guiab scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to finish with 14 points and nine rebounds.
JRU stretched its winning streak to four to improve to 4-2 while San Beda dropped to a similar 4-2 card.
The fourth quarter saw several runs as San Beda cut what was once a double-digit deficit down to six, 68-62, before JRU restored the spread back to 12, 74-62.
Gab Cometa then tried to rally the Red Lions, scoring nine straight points to bring them to within four, 81-77, with 1:45 left.
A split from James Kwekuteye made it an 82-80 affair with a minute left as a traveling violation on Ry Dela Rosa proved costly for JRU.
But a crucial miss then by Kwekuteye virtually sealed the win for JRU as Guiab split his freebies on the other end.
It was all JRU in the first half with the veteran Miranda taking matters into his own hands, pouring in 17 points early to lead his side to a 49-33 halftime lead.
That huge cushion even ballooned to as much as 20 points at some points for the Louie Gonzales-mentored squad.
But the Red Lions made sure not to go down without a fight in the second half, trimming their deficit to just eight, 66-58, by the end of the third with Tony Ynot, who scored nine points in the period, and JB Bahio joining forces.
Cometa took over the scoring for the Red Lions in the fourth, where he scored 11 points, but they just could not come all the way back.
Bahio led San Beda with 19 points and 10 boards while Cometa chipped in with 15 points, all of them in the second half.
The scores:
JRU 83 - Miranda 21, Amores 19, Dionisio 16, Guiab 14, Dela Rosa 6, Sy 4, Gonzales 2, Celis 1, Delos Santos 0, Arenal 0, Villarin 0.
San beda 80 - Bahio 19, Cometa 15, Kwekuteye 14, Ynot 12, Andrada 6, Cortez 4, Alfaro 4, Sanchez 3, Visser 2, Tagala 1, Cuntapay 0, Jopia 0.
Quarters: 24-16, 49-33, 66-58, 83-80.
—JMB, GMA News
