Clint Escamis, NCAA Player of the Week, leads Mapua to top spot

Clint Escamis after Mapua’s win over Lyceum.-NCAA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Mapua has emerged at the top spot behind the steady showing of Clint Escamis.

Escamis’ fingerprints were all over his team’s 87-83 win over Lyceum on Saturday as the Cardinals moved to No. 1 in the standings as the Pirates slipped to second.

The playmaker collected 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and was named NCAA Player of the Week.

Escamis also dazzled on both ends in Mapua’s 77-71 victory over defending champion Letran with 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists and eight steals.

His string of stellar performances, Escamis said, was just a product of coach Randy Alcantara’s trust in him.

“I’m just so happy and thankful for the opportunity that coach Randy and coach Yong (Garcia) are giving me,” he said in Filipino.

Escamis was the second Cardinal to be given the citation after Paolo Hernandez last week.

The 23-year-old, who transferred from University of the East, is averaging 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and six steals to lead Mapua to a 6-1 record.

norms of 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and six steals were enough for him to zoom past Emilio Aguinaldo College’s King Gurtiza, Perpetual help’s Jun Roque, San Beda’s Jacob Cortez and College of St. Benilde’s Migs Oczon for the weekly honors presented by San Miguel Corporation.