Wonder twins power Pirates past Falcons

With twins JV and JC Marcelino putting out fires in crucial situations, Lyceum squeaked past Adamson, 82-81, Friday in the Filoil Flying V Preseason Cup.

JC Marcelino hit the go-ahead basket for the Pirates for the final count to cap a furious rally by Lyceum, which fought back from six points down in the last 1:33 with a run keyed by JV Marcelino’s triple.

Adamson had a shot to overturn the result with 3.4 seconds remaining but Lyceum forced a turnover on Falcons’ Simon Camacho as time run out.

JC Marcelino led Lyceum with 19 points while Mike Nzeusseu added 14 and JV Marcelino finished with 10.

Camacho led Adamson with 19 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

Lyceum’s frenzied finish stole the limelight from San Beda, which rose to 2-0 after crushing Mapua, 80-63, for their second straight victory.

The Red Lions had the game in the bag as early as the fourth when Ain Obenza and Ralph Penuela found their mark from beyond the arc and Evan Nelle drilled a 26-footer at the buzzer to give San Beda a 30-11 spread after one quarter.

The Red Lions stretched that lead to as many as 26 points, 71-45, after another long trey from Nelle.

“We were coming off a loss in the D-League so it is good to see the team play well this time around,” said SBC head coach Boyet Fernandez.

Mapua was missing the services of three of its players in Warren Bonifacio, Justin Serrano and Jasper Salenga due to suspensions and injuries. Mapua was also without head coach Randy Alcantara, who was sick.

In the Under-11 Division that has drawn quite a crowd, the Xavier Golden Stallions turned back a late charge by the La Salle Greenhills Greenies, 64-57, behind Rambert Lagar’s 23 points and 12 rebounds.