NCAA: Pirates come from behind to defeat Heavy Bombers, tighten grip on fourth spot

Byron Villarias of JRU tries to get away from Jhyruz Laude of Lyceum AUGUST DELA CRUZ/INQUIRER

MANILA, Philippines – Bucking cramps and a spate of flagrant fouls, Lyceum sneaked up on Jose Rizal University and hacked out a 71-65 come-from-behind victory Friday in the 87^th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Arena in San Juan.

With things looking grim in the fourth – as flagrant fouls came after the other, the Pirates unleashed a furious attack in the last six minutes which crippled the Heavy Bombers en route to bolstering their hold of the fourth spot.

Although the newcomers Lyceum, with still eight games left in the eliminations, nothing is set in stone just yet even as it spiked its record to 5-5.

“We don’t care about standings right now. Our mindset every game is we’re back to zero,” said assistant coach Chris Brower answering in lieu of head coach Bonnie Tan, who couldn’t muster any more voice after the tense fourth quarter.

After stocky forward Allan Santos was slapped with a flagrant foul, which automatically awarded JRU the possession and two freebies, Chris Cayabyab turned the tide for Lyceum with a trey capped by a go-ahead perimeter basket by June Napiza with 3:57 to go.

“Cayabyab is a marked man already, so he’s having a hard time. It’s a good thing he recovered in the end and made some adjustments,” said Brower, who once played for the Pirates alongside PBA standouts like Joey Mente and Gary David.

Napiza, also connected on an off-balanced jumper before cramping up which game the Lyceum – who first lead in the early goings before the fourth quarter take over – a four point cushion with 1:22 left.

Cayabyab scored 19 points, after just managing four points in the first half, and plucked 11 rebounds while Napiza addded 12 and nine boards.

“We just muscled our way through. Labanan ng resistensya,” added Brower, as Lyceum held JRU to just one field goal in the last three minutes.

Five flagrant fouls were called in total – one each on JRU’s Raycon Kabigting and Alex Almario, Lyceum’s Jyhgruz Laude and Santos and two on Floricel Guevarra, who only played six minutes for being thrown out in the third.

The game was all about avenging the stinging first round 68-74 loss to JRU, though Lyceum didn’t seem too keen on nabbing the victory after three quarters.

Lyceum simply allowed the Bombers to take the lead as Byron Villarias exploded for 11 points in the second quarter alone, and Nate Matute padded on to the lead, 43-31, to start the second half.

Villarias and Matute combined for 24 points, but both of them only scored one point in the payoff period for the Bombers, who dropped to 3-7 for a three-way-tie with Arellano and EAC.