Allwell Oraeme PHOTO BY TRISTAN TAMAYO/INQUIRER.net
Mapua worked its magic early as it stopped College of St. Benilde, 76-64, to get a share of the third seed in the NCAA seniors basketball tournament on Friday at San Juan Arena.
It was a dream start for the Cardinals who outscored the Blazers 29-7 in the first quarter and continued their momentum until the third to establish a 67-38 before the final period.
Cardinals assistant coach Ed Cordero said they dedicated the game to head coach Atoy Co who was serving a one-game suspension.
“We had to dedicate this to coach Atoy,” Cordero said as the Cardinals tied Jose Rizal University (JRU) and Arellano University for fourth seed. “He has done so much for Mapua.”
CSB mounted a resurgence in the fourth quarter, outscoring Mapua 26-9, but the Cardinals’ established lead was too big to overcome.
Cordero said the secret to the Cardinals’ three straight wins was going toe-to-toe against any opponent they faced.
“The key was our ability to equal or surpass our opponents,” Cordero said.
Allwell Oraeme had a monster game of 19 points, 20 rebounds, and eight assists for the 4-3 Cardinals.
Darell Menina added 13 points while Josan Nimes had 11 before coming out of the game in the third quarter due to injury.
John Domingo and Jonathan Grey had 14 points apiece for the 2-6 Blazers.