Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Mapua used rookies JP Nieles and Darell Menina as battering rams to destroy Letran’s relentless full-court trapping as Mapua shocked Letran, 82-77, Tuesday (September 15) to stay within reach of a place in the magic four in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at The Arena in San Juan.
Nieles, a proud son of Bacolod, poured in seven of his 16 points in the stretch while Menina, who is from Cebu, had 12 points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals as the Cardinals streaked to their fifth straight win and their first triumph over the Knights since a 63-60 win five years back.
While the Nieles-Menina tandem played pivotal, Nigerian Allwell Oraeme did the heavy lifting with 18 points and a season-best 30 rebounds as Mapua improved to 9-5, half a game behind No. 4 Perpetual Help (9-4).
The Knights fell to 11-3.
In the opening game, Jose Rizal University relied on Tey Teodoro’s endgame heroics as it overcame an upset-conscious College of St. Benilde, 73-69, to remain in the Final Four race.
Teodoro made a free throw to give his team a two-point cushion and then picked Travis Jonson’s pocket to score on a wide-open lay-up that put the game away for good and clinch the Bombers their eighth win against six defeats.
“Even if he struggles in his game, he’ll be there because he’s still my man, it’s as simple as that,” said Jose Rizal coach Vergel Meneses of Teodoro, who finished with a team-high 17 points.
The win kept Jose Rizal one and a half games behind No. 4 Perpetual Help (9-4), leaving it with no other choice but to sweep its last four games against Letran on Friday, Perpetual on Sept. 25, Lyceum on Sept. 29 and San Sebastian on October 2.
Jonathan Grey exploded with with 34 points but he fell to cramps in the stretch and was never the same when he returned as the Blazers fell to 3-11 (win-loss).
