TLPSports | LPU Pirates seal 11th victory with a last-quarter clutch in NCAA basketball
By Claire Beatrice M. Aviñante
On Friday, November 10 at the San Juan FilOil EcoOil Arena, the clash between the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) Pirates and the College of Saint Benilde (CSB) Blazers was brought to court for the second round of the NCAA Season 99 basketball tournament. Ultimately, the LPU Pirates secured a significant victory with a final score of 84–81 in the heated encounter.
The Blazers took flight in the first quarter, leveraging steals and drives, particularly through the skillful play of Oczon (8), seizing an early lead for the Blazers. He managed to score the first point of the first quarter, totalling to three points. Throughout the game, he carried his team with the help of Corteza (12) in sustaining the Blazers’ momentum.
Alternatively, the Pirates struggled to score a point in the basket — but a quick response after the first time-out strengthened their gameplay. Valdez (2) and Montaño (13) instantly scored two points respectively; and the defense of the Blazers started to diminish when Barba (3) entered the court. He managed to score an instant three-pointer and two free throws for the team. LPU started to chase the CSB lead, narrowing the score gap to 18 — 16, in contrast to the early 8-point gap.
In a gripping opening quarter, the CSB Blazers emerged with a slender lead, closing the period with a score of 20 — 18 against the LPU Pirates. The strategic prowess of Morales (6) who has defied the newly established defense of the Pirates allowed the Blazers to clinch a marginal advantage by the end of the first quarter.
The Pirates started off in a slow pace for the first period; however, this was not the case for the second quarter. The Pirates’ continuous fouls pushed the Blazers to maintain the leading score. But Barba ceaselessly led the team, blocking Oczon’s shots. With the Pirates’ improved offensive play, they managed to narrow the leading gap of the Blazers to 3, which was demonstrated by the contributions of Penafiel’s (17) clean floater shot, and Valdez and Cunanan’s (18) three-pointer shots, respectively.
LPU reduced the lead to a mere 2 points at the halftime buzzer, with a score of 45–43 in favor of CSB. Furthermore, the halftime statistics showcased that the Pirates acquired 17/35 field goals, 2/12 three-point field goals, 18 rebounds, 24 points in the paint, and 12 perimeter points; with the leading scorers: Umali (28) with 9 points, Valdez and Barba with 8 points, respectively.
This is in contrast to the Blazers’ 16/39 field goals, 4/9 three-point field goals, 24 rebounds, 18 points in the paint, and 18 perimeter points; with the leading scorers: Oczon with 10 points, Corteza with 8 points and Carlos with 7 points.
The start of the second half began with Corteza firing off early with a three-pointer, setting the tone for a back-and-forth scoring exchange from both teams, with Bravo and Flores from CSB’s three-point shots. Carlos’ layups led the Blazers to a 7 point lead, and flawlessly carried the team single-handedly. The Pirates started to waver, with Valdez acquiring a technical foul after accusing the opposing team for a foul, which led the Blazers gaining a technical free throw. But Valdez’s subsequent slam dunk served as a catalyst for LPU’s resurgence. However, the Blazers remained steadfast, concluding the quarter with a slight advantage of 64 — 59.
The Pirates roared into the final quarter, reclaiming the lead by 1 point. Throughout the game, both teams continuously exchanged impactful fouls which enabled them to reach penalties. Free throws were granted to the Pirates and the Blazers. As the game heated up, Omandac emerged as a game-changer, firing pivotal three-pointers, attempting to secure a lead. The match’s climax saw an intense exchange of three-pointers, with another one of Omandac’s intimidating three-point shot that brought the Pirates to the lead. With the Blazers’ valiant efforts falling short through missed three-pointers and short layups, The Pirates’ defensive stance and strategic plays paid off, resulting in a narrow victory of 81 — 84 for LPU.
The LPU Pirates’ team captain Enoch Valdez was recognized as the best player of the game, showcasing an impressive performance with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. The crowd, filled with boastful Lyceans, celebrated yet another triumph to streak the fifth for the Pirates in the second round, reaffirming their representation of Lyceum’s prowess. With 11 wins and 3 losses, LPU stands strong in the ongoing NCAA basketball tournament this season.
