HOOP ‘THRILLA’
Fifty years after the iconic “Thrilla in Manila” bout between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at Araneta Coliseum, another heavyweight clash unfolded at the Big Dome—this time on the hardcourt.
Lyceum and Mapua, two title contenders in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament, traded blows in an instant classic that mirrored the grit of that historic 1975 boxing match. But instead of 14 brutal rounds, the Cardinals and Pirates battled through 50 grueling minutes and two overtimes.
On Wednesday, it was Mapua—last season’s champion—that played the role of Ali, emerging victorious with a 90-89 win to open their title defense.
“We expected this game to be tough because Lyceum came prepared. We’re the defending champs—everyone wants to beat us,” said JC Recto, who led Mapua with 16 points and nine rebounds. “All we focused on in overtime was staying composed and ready.”
In a fitting twist, Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao was in attendance to witness the league’s season opener—a nod to the boxing heritage of the venue.
Final blow
Recto delivered the killer punches when it mattered most. With Lyceum up 80-77 in the first overtime, the forward powered through contact for an and-one to tie the game with 34.6 seconds left.
He wasn’t done. In the second extra period, with Mapua trailing 87-84, Recto again muscled his way inside to knot the score at 87-all with 1:09 remaining.
“I just let my instincts take over,” he said. “Clint (Escamis) wasn’t there, but that didn’t mean we should focus on who was missing. I just did what the coaches asked.”
Escamis fouled out in regulation and finished with eight points.
The final blow came from rookie guard Cyrus Cuenco, who split his free throws with 12 seconds left—enough to give Mapua the edge it needed.
Cuenco finished with 14 points, while Earl Sapasap and Yam Concepcion added 16 and 13, respectively.
Despite a 23-point explosion from Renz Villegas and a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double from Michael Versoza, Lyceum fell short in its opener.
Mapua looks to go 2-0 when it faces Arellano on Saturday at the San Juan Arena.
