Chris Hubilla of Mapua Cardinals during an NCAA Season 100 game against San Beda. NCAA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Chris Hubilla didn’t mind going scoreless during the critical stretch as long as he contained San Beda’s most reliable offensive weapon.
The energetic forward gave Yukien Andrada little room to operate while Marc Cuenco shined in the Mapua Cardinals’ thrilling 58-55 win over the defending Red Lions on Sunday in the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball.
Article continues after this advertisement
“Yukien is hard to defend, you don’t know what kind of shot he will take. I didn’t score in the second half, but stopping him was more important,” Hubilla said in Filipino after scoring all of his 17 points in the first half.
READ: NCAA 100: Mapua rookies motivated by first-round struggles
While Hubilla focused on Andrada and reigning MVP Clint Escamis struggled, Cuenco stood out by scoring 10 of his 11 points in the fourth quarter.
The quick-witted guard’s go-ahead corner three-pointer in the final minute halted San Beda’s comeback.
Article continues after this advertisement
“It was a great shot, but it was our team effort that gave us the chance to win. We lacked effort in our previous game, so we doubled our aggressiveness today,” Cuenco said.
Marc Cuenco of Mapua Cardinals during an NCAA Season 100 game against San Beda. NCAA PHOTO
The Cardinals demonstrated determination by grabbing 51 rebounds, 25 of which were offensive, despite the size disadvantage against the Lions, who managed 31 rebounds.
Hubilla’s impressive performances in consecutive games have kept the Cardinals close to the leading College of St. Benilde Blazers.
READ: NCAA 100: Led by Chris Hubilla, Mapua defeats Letran
With a 10-3 record, they are half a game behind the frontrunners, while the Lions drop to third place with five losses in 13 games.
Bryan Sajonia scored 12 points and Jomel Puno added 11 for the Lions, who had to rally from a 14-point deficit to make it an intense finish.
“This win is very crucial. It’s our chance to pull away and stay in contention for the top two spots in the Final Four,” Hubilla said. He limited Andrada to nine points on just seven attempts.
The scores:
MAPUA 58 – Hubilla 17, Cuenco 11, Escamis 7, Abdulla 5, Recto 4, Mangubat 4, Jabonete 4, Concepcion 3, Igliane 3, Bancale 0, Fermin 0
SAN BEDA 55 – Sajonia 12, Puno 11, Andrada 9, Estacio 6, Songcuya 6, Lina 6, Payosing 3, Tagle 2, Royo 0, Calimag 0, Bonzalida 0
Unable to save your subscription. Please try again.
Subscription successful.
Quarterscores: 16-12, 32-23, 46-40, 58-55