MANILA — Ivan Lazarte delivered a near-perfect shooting performance as Mapúa University Cardinals eliminated Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates, 83-68, on Thursday at the San Juan Arena to secure a quarterfinal berth in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament.
Lazarte erupted for 25 points on 9-of-10 field-goal shooting, including a perfect 3-of-3 from three-point range, as the Cardinals capitalized on their twice-to-beat advantage in the Group B play-in encounter to keep their championship campaign alive.
The victory set up a tougher quarterfinal showdown with Group B top seed Colegio de San Juan de Letran, which finished the elimination round with a 9-4 record and will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage over Mapúa.
Lazarte also collected five rebounds, two assists and a steal in an impressive all-around performance that powered the Cardinals past the Pirates.
Despite his offensive explosion, Lazarte credited his commitment to head coach Chito Victolero’s system rather than his individual scoring brilliance.
“Hindi ko iniisip na hindi ako hundred percent. Kailangan namin mag buy-in sa sistema ni coach (Chito Victolero) ngayon. ‘Yon ‘yong gusto namin, mag-buy-in at manalo,” said Lazarte.
With Letran standing between Mapúa and a deeper playoff run, Lazarte emphasized the need to immediately shift their attention to the next challenge.
“No time to relax, no time to celebrate, focus agad kami sa next game namin.”
Russell Liwanag reinforced Mapúa’s offense with 15 points, while Cyrus Cuenco contributed 13 and Jamal Diaz added 11.
For Lyceum, Mclaude Guadana scored a team-high 15 points in his final appearance for the Pirates. Renzelle Villegas added 12, while Matthew Rubico finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.
The defeat ended Lyceum’s Season 102 campaign, while Mapúa moved a step closer to the semifinals but must overcome Letran’s twice-to-beat advantage to advance./PN
