Arellano University locked up the first twice-to-beat advantage after beating Mapua, 95-82, in a potential Final Four duel in the NCAA Season 92 men’s basketball tournament Tuesday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Chiefs broke away from a tight game with Jio Jalalon and Donald Gumaru spearheading a 13-0 run that turned a one-point deficit to an 87-75 buffer with 2:49 left.
“They (Mapua) were there in the thick of the fight,” said Arellano head coach Jerry Codiñera. “I just told them to follow and execute which wasn’t evident in the first half.”
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But the second half was a totally different story with Jalalon and Gumaru burying the Cardinals with an avalanche of 3-pointers.
“He’s been playing well for the past three games,” Codiñera said of Gumaru.
Jalalon exploded for a season-high 35 points just two shy of his career-best 37 he set last season while Gumaru, who turned 24 Tuesday, gave his team a big lift with 15 points, all coming from long range.
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“I just did what my coaches told me to do,” Jalalon said in Filipino after collecting five rebounds, five assists and five steals. “I just wanted to do my best out there.”
CJ Isit led the Cardinals (11-6) with 25 points, including a free throw that put his team ahead, 75-74, with 6:02 to go.
But Mapua turned cold as it went on a scoring drought for nearly four minutes while Arellano hardly missed from downtown.
“Ang laking advantage ng twice-to-beat for us and that’s a big boost for us going into the playoffs,” said Codiñera, whose team improved to 14-3 with its final game of the elimination round against second-running San Beda on Friday.
Kent Salado also had a solid outing with 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Chiefs, who are eyeing a return to the finals after losing to the Red Lions in the championship round two seasons ago.