Pirates sail to win No. 14

Lyceum coach Topex Robinson attributes the Pirates’ success in NCAA Season 93 to the freedom he gives his players at crucial moments in the game.

The clash against Emilio Aguinaldo College on Tuesday was another showcase of the Pirates’ poise and composure, as they repaid the trust shown by their coach.

Facing a late uprising from the Generals, the Pirates wiggled themselves out of trouble with another strong finish for an 86-74 victory that extended their unbeaten start to 14 games at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

While the Generals suffered a blow in their hopes of nailing a Final Four berth, the San Sebastian Stags enhanced their bid for a postseason spot with a 95-64 drubbing of a surprisingly listless Letran squad in the first game.

“You have to trust them that if they made a mistake, they have to figure it out on their own,” said Robinson. “There will come a time when I don’t need to coach them anymore. These moments are helping them grow.”

The stretch that Robinson was referring to came with under four minutes remaining with the Pirates protecting a 78-72 lead and momentum on the Generals’ side after a triple from Jerome Garcia.

Twins Jaycee and JV Marcelino combined to score the next eight points, while the Pirates put the clamps on the Generals’ shooters to put the game away.

Four wins away from a season sweep that will give them a thrice-to-beat bonus in the finals, Robinson knows the Pirates can’t afford to get ahead of themselves.

“It’s not a guarantee that you’re going to win a championship,” said Robinson. “There are a lot of flaws that we need to work on and we have to keep on improving.”

The Stags, meanwhile, nailed 16 triples on their way to a seventh win in 13 games, tying Jose Rizal U at third spot, while sending the Knights to fifth with a 7-7 card.