Mapua crushes Lyceum, sets QF duel vs Letran
Mapua kept its NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball title hopes alive with an 83-68 victory over Lyceum in the play-in round Thursday at San Juan Arena.
Ivan Lazarte delivered a near-flawless shooting performance, scoring 25 points to power the Cardinals past the Pirates and into a quarterfinal showdown with Letran.
Lazarte missed just one of his 10 field-goal attempts, including a perfect 3-for-3 clip from three-point range, while adding five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
The victory allowed Mapua, which entered the play-ins as Group A’s fourth seed with a twice-to-beat advantage, to eliminate Lyceum and advance to the next round.
The Cardinals, however, face a tougher assignment against the Knights, who topped Group B with a 9-4 record and will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals.
Lazarte said the Cardinals’ commitment to coach Chito Victolero’s system was crucial to their victory.
“I don’t think about not being 100 percent. We need to buy into coach Chito Victolero’s system. That’s what we want—to buy in and win,” Lazarte said.
And with Mapua needing two victories over Letran to advance, Lazarte wasn’t about to let the Cardinals dwell on their latest triumph.
“No time to relax, no time to celebrate. We’re immediately focusing on our next game,” he said.
Russel Liwanag added 15 points for Mapua, while Cyrus Cuenco contributed 13 and Jamal Diaz chipped in 11 as the Cardinals kept their championship bid alive.
Mclaude Guadaña scored 15 points in his final game for Lyceum, which bowed out of title contention.
Renz Villegas added 12 points for the Pirates, while promising swingman Matthew Rubico finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.
