Refusing to lose, Jaycee Marcelino carries Lyceum on his shoulders

Jaycee Marcelino. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

When Lyceum needed saving, Jaycee Marcelino readily answered the call.

Marcelino poured 13 of his 24 points in the final frame to lift Lyceum past Emilio Aguinaldo College, 106-97, in the NCAA Season 94 men’s basketball tournament Friday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Before Marcelino caught fire and bailed out the Pirates, the Generals cut a  31-point deficit to three, 77-80, heading into the payoff period.

“We doubled our effort in the fourth quarter to regain our lead and eventually win the game,” Marcelino said in Filipino.

He said the Generals’ comeback was a lesson for the team to not be complacent when holding a big margin.

“It was a big learning for us because we were ahead and yet we played complacently,” said Marcelino.

Pirates head coach Topex Robinson said he just trusted his players “to do the right thing” when the Generals made multiple runs.

“As a coach, sometimes you just have to bite your lip and trust your players that they will find a way,” Robinson said. Ma. Angelica D. Garcia, Justin Robert Valencia