Clint Escamis tries to get past the Perpetual Help defense.-NCAA PHOTO
Mapua started the fourth quarter with a strong scoring spurt and then used its defense to hold off Perpetual late in the game for a 62-61 squeaker on Saturday that tightened the school’s grip on the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Season 99 men’s basketball tournament at Filoil EcoOil Centre. The Cardinals needed to shut down the Altas in the last two minutes to seal their eighth win in nine outings and stay a game and a half up on second-running San Beda (6-2, win-loss).
Mapua trailed by four entering the fourth quarter but unloaded nine straight points to seize control of the match.
But the Cardinals suddenly went cold, scoring only four points the rest of the way, and had to make huge stops to frustrate the game Altas.
Clint Escamis, the school’s top entry in the Most Valuable Player race, struggled from the floor and finished with 10 points, but helped Mapua in other ways, plucking 11 rebounds and picking off three steals.
Marc Cuenco led the way for the Cardinals with 14 points but it was the duo of Paolo Hernandez and JC Recto who helped the Cardinals survive their sputtering offense by nailing crucial baskets in the fourth.
In the other game, Jose Rizal U kept itself inside the top four by routing Arellano, 88-72.