NCAA: Learning from mistakes, Lyceum returns to winning ways

Lyceum’s JM Bravo powers his way in the paint against Mapua.-NCAA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Lyceum hit a rough patch to end the first round of the eliminations in the NCAA Season 99 men’s basketball tournament.

At the start of the second round, however, the Pirates seemed to have found the rhythm they once had at the beginning of the tournament.

After winning its first six games of the season and dropping the next three, the Pirates are back on track riding a three-game winning streak after an 86-82 win over Mapua on Friday.

“We adjusted the small things that actually impact our team in big ways. We adjusted from the mistakes we made after our last three games in the first round,”  guard JM Bravo said in Filipino.

Bravo finished a rebound shy of a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds as the Pirates tied the Cardinals atop the standings at 9-3.

Following coach Gilbert Malabanan’s gameplan to a tee, Lyceum hounded Mapua on its way to building a lead of as many as 19 points.

Patrick Montano topscored for the Pirates with 18 points.

“For us, we just follow coach Gilbert’s reminders about being consistent and playing the right way so that’s how our great ball movement started. We adjusted that in the second round because in the last three games [first round], that was our mistake,” said Bravo.