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| Cyrus Cuenco won the game for Mapua in a double overtime thriller against Lyceum. Glads Pillejera |
QUEZON CITY––Cyrus Cuenco won it for Mapua as the defending champion began its bid for back-to-back NCAA chips with a 90-89 victory against Lyceum in the opening game for Season 101 on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
In an epic "Battle of Intramuros" that needed two overtimes to settle, Cuenco split his free throws off a Lance Aurigue foul with 6.1 seconds left that broke an 89-all deadlock in the Cardinals' favor.
Lyon Pallingayan tried to win it for the Pirates, but he missed an elbow jumper, and Yam Concepcion grabbed the game-saving rebound as time ran out.
JC Recto and Earl Sapasap led Mapua with 16 points each in a game where the team still won despite Clint Escamis fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Concepcion completed his double-double with the deciding defensive board and finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, along with two assists and two steals.
Renz Villegas carried the fight for Lyceum with 23 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block in a game where Ato Barba, last year's top scorer, was held to only eight markers.
JM Versoza added 14 points, 12 rebounds, and one assist.
The scores:
MAPÚA 90 – Recto 16, Sapasap 16, Cuenco 14, Concepcion 13, Gonzales 11, Escamis 8, Igliane 8, Ryan 2, Gulapa 2, Nitura 0, Lazarte 0, Delos Reyes 0, Reyes 0, Abdulla 0
LYCEUM 89 РVillegas 23, Versoza 14, Daileg 13, Barba 8, Pallingayan 7, Gordon 5, Aurige 5, Aviles 5, Matienzo 4, Moralejo 3, Monta̱o 2, Pe̱afiel 0
Quarterscores: 19-21, 34-44, 63-55, 74-74 (reg.), 80-80 (OT), 90-89 (2OT)
