NCAA: Clint Escamis, Paolo Hernandez fuel Mapua rout of San Beda

Mapua Cardinals in the NCAA Season 99 –NCAA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Mapua made quick work of San Beda, 75-57, in the NCAA Season 99 men’s basketball tournament at San Juan Arena on Friday.

The Cardinals, who now share the top spot with Lyceum with a 2-0 record, came out hot as early as the first quarter, and that energy from the starters was contagious to the second and third-stringers.

“We started with good defense and the kids just brought it upon themselves to be composed with every possession. The other side had counters so we just got ready, even our third group. The main key, though, was sharing the ball,” said coach Randy Alcantara.

“It was about team effort. Everything worked. We started with these two guys (Clint Escamis and Paolo Hernandez) and the energy was high and it became contagious to the point where even the second unit worked.”

Hernandez (17) and Escamis (14), who both started the game in the guard positions, combined for 31 points in the win. They also shared the ball effectively to register four and eight assists, respectively.

The Cardinals’ onslaught didn’t stop at the intermission, as they limited the Red Lions to only 11 third quarter points.

Alcantara’s wards served as pests for San Beda, as they snagged 12 steals resulting in 22 turnovers.

Mapua also suffocated San Beda on defense for a lowly 30.6 percent shooting clip from the field, as a team. The Red Lions were also limited to just six made buckets from beyond the arc.

Alex Visser top scored for the Red Lions, who dropped to a 1-1 card, with 10 markers. Jacob Cortez and Yukien Andrada followed suit with nine and eight points to their names.