By Ivan Saldajeno
SAN JUAN, MM--Mapua needed overtime before ending a five-game head-to-head losing spell against San Beda with a 101-97 victory in a crucial NCAA Season 92 meeting at the FilOil FLying V Centre on Thursday night.
The Cardinals bubbled a hot start but leaned on CJ Isit's overtime explosion to beat the Red Lions for the first time since Season 79.
Mapua began the match on a 13-3 run led by Joseph Eriobu, but San Beda recovered and eventually took a 10-point lead of its own, 63-53, in the third quarter.
A 15-2 run by the Cardinals capped by six straight points to start the fourth gave them the lead anew, 66-65, but the Red Lions bounced back with their own 11-2 blast for a 76-68 cushion.
Mapua then went on a 19-8 rally ended by seven unanswered points to put the team in a position to clinch the game in regulation, 87-84, with 10.6 seconds left in the payoff period.
Looking for the equalizing triple, Coach Jamike Jarin opted to send in Radge Tongco, a better long-range bomber, for Arnaud Noah, but with the substitution not made formal, Noah had to play out San Beda's last possession of the regulation. Noah turned the failed sub to a blessing in disguise as he buried a wide-open trey with 6.5 seconds left to tie the game, 87-all.
The Cardinals had one more chance to seal it in just 40 minutes, but Darell Menina missed a corner three and Allwell Oraeme muffed his putback.
Isit then took over in extra time, scoring five straight points to give them the lead for good as the Red Lions lost steam in the dying moments.
Eriobu, who scored six of Mapua's first eight points, finished with a career-high 26 points with nine rebounds, and two assists, while Isit finished with 15 points, eight in the five-minute extension.
Javee Mocon had a good all-around game for San Beda with 19 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and one block.
The result reinforced the Cardinals' hold of fourth place with an 8-5 record while chopping the Red Lions' lead over the Arellano Chiefs and the Perpetual Help Altas for first place to a mere half-game.
Box Scores:
Mapua 101-Eriobu 26, Isit 15, Menina 14, Oraeme 12, Biteng 11, Estrella 10, Serrano 7, Buñag 6, Victoria 0, Orquina 0
San Beda 97-Mocon 19, Bolick 18, Potts 15, Noah 10, Tongco 7, Sara 6, Soberano 5, Presbitero 4, Adamos 4, Oftana 4, Navarro 3, Carlos 2, Alas 0, Bahio 0
Quarterscores: 19-17, 39-43, 60-65, 87-87, 101-97
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
.jpg)
