MANILA — Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers nearly squandered a late advantage but held their nerve in the closing seconds to escape with an 81-78 victory over Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates and seize solo leadership of Group A in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan.
Lawrence Mangubat, returning from a shoulder injury, delivered two crucial free throws in the final seconds as the Heavy Bombers survived a furious Lyceum comeback to improve to an 8-3 win-loss record.
The victory also marked a crucial rebound for JRU following its previous loss to San Beda University, while the Pirates slipped to 4-6.
Holding a 79-75 advantage with 1:23 remaining, the Heavy Bombers appeared headed for a comfortable finish until Matthew Rubico completed a three-point play with 16 seconds left, cutting Lyceum’s deficit to a single point, 79-78.
Mangubat, however, calmly sank two pressure-packed free throws on JRU’s ensuing possession to restore a three-point cushion, 81-78.
The Pirates still had 9.2 seconds to force overtime, but Lance Aurigue and Renz Villegas missed their three-point attempts, allowing the Heavy Bombers to preserve the hard-earned victory.
Sanlea Peñaverde powered JRU’s offense with an impressive all-around performance of 22 points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds.
Sean Salvador provided 16 points, while Mangubat contributed 12 in his return to action. Ivan Panapanaan controlled the boards with a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Villegas carried the fight for Lyceum with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but his efforts went unrewarded as the Pirates failed to complete their late comeback.
Jonathan Daileg chipped in 15 points, while Rubico finished with 12, including the crucial three-point play that nearly turned the contest around.
Meanwhile, Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals strengthened their bid to avoid the play-in round after crushing the winless San Sebastian College-Recoletos Golden Stags, 96-64, in Group B action.
The Generals improved to 4-6, temporarily climbing to third place in their group and boosting their chances of securing a more favorable postseason position.
San Sebastian, meanwhile, remained mired at the bottom of the standings after suffering its 11th consecutive defeat.
MJ Raymundo spearheaded EAC’s dominant victory with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Joseph Nunag contributed 16 markers.
EJ Castillo and Jude Bagay added 13 and 10 points, respectively, as the Generals overwhelmed the struggling Golden Stags to complete the lopsided victory./PN
