Lance Aurigue the unlikely hero as LPU stuns Mapua for breakthrough in NCAA Season 102

Lance Aurigue came alive late to help Lyceum of the Philippines University eke out an 88-87 win against Mapua University for its breakthrough in the NCAA Season 102 on Monday at the PhilSports Arena.

Aurigue scored nine of the last 12 points for the Pirates and paved the way for the one-point escape that gave Jamike Jarin his first win as the head coach and allowed LPU to improve to 1-1 in Group A.

Down 76-79 late in the fourth, Matthew Rubico first completed a three-point play following a foul drawn against Cyrus Nitura to force a deadlock. Aurigue then took over, scoring nine straight points, including a three-point play of his own, to send the Pirates to an 88-85 lead with 38 seconds left to play.

Mapua’s fate was then in the hands of Cyrus Cuenco, who earned a trip to the line after drawing a foul from Omar Gordon and was awarded three free throws.

But the veteran guard only made two of those freebies as Mapua absorbed its second straight one-point loss. The Cardinals were coming off a 65-64 loss to Jose Rizal University.

Aurigue finished with a double-double outing of 21 points and 13 rebounds while Renz Villegas and Rubico chipped in 17 and 15 markers, respectively.

—JMB, GMA News