FilOil 2012 - April 14 box scores

Box scores for ADMU over CSJL, SBC over DLSU and NU over JRU, under the cut

FilOil Random Thoughts - Gameday April 14, 2012

ADMU vs CSJL

• Ateneo lost three of their four best perimeter defenders to graduation, Kirk Long, Emman Monfort and Bacon Austria. Their ability to stop trigger-happy guards immediately gets tested as they go up against the likes of Mark Cruz, Kevin Alas, and Kevin Racal. Can Juami Tiongson, Kiefer Ravena, Tonino Gonzaga, and new Eagles Kiefer Lim and Nico Elorde pick up the slack?
• That said, Kevin Alas is still questionable for today's game. 

Game Day! Hope I can play! Arriba Letranista!
— Kevin Louie Alas (@kevinlouiealas) April 14, 2012

• The Greg Slaughter (13.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks) - Raymond Almazan (7.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks) match-up could decide the game. If Slaughter gets into attack mode early and gets Almazan into foul trouble, that opens up the interior for Ateneo's slashers. 
• Another intriguing match-up will be Nico Salva (13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 47.15% FG shooting) against Jam Cortes (12.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 49.48% FG shoting). Salva will drag Cortes to the perimeter, where he's got the advantage, but on the flipside, Cortes can punish Salva by backing him into the post. 
• Ateneo has a hard time with physical defenses, as seen in their struggles against San Sebastian in the PCCL. Letran plays a similar kind of defense, though they do not have an all-around Calvin Abueva type who can stop multiple positions. Time to see if the Eagles have learned from that thrashing. 

SBC vs DLSU

• Player most likely to excel under new head coach Ronnie Magsanoc: Baser Amer (18.5 minutes, 7.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.9 steals). Amer had a hard time adjusting to then-head coach Frankie Lim's system, which saw him constantly checking over his shoulder to see what play he needed to run on that specific possession. If Magsanoc is more willing to let Amer get creative and run wild, he could put up near his high school numbers average of 11.7 assists
• Player most likely to excel under new head coach Gee Abanilla: Joshua Webb (9.6 minutes, 3.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists). Last season saw Webb post his worst numbers since his rookie year, as then-head coach Dindo Pumaren buried him on the bench. We saw glimpses of this already in the PCCL, when the Archers turned Webb loose, allowing him to post several double-digit scoring games  (13.75 points through 4 games. When they got knocked out versus Letran, he tellingly only tallied 6 markers). Webb in transition and coming off the weak side is tons better than the catch-and-shoot Webb we saw in Season 74
• The last time these two teams played, San Beda needed a game-winner by Garvo Lanete to come out on top, 70-68.
• No Arnold Van Opstal for La Salle, as he's still nursing an injury. That leaves Norbert Torres, Papot Paredes, Yutien Andrada, Jovet Mendoza and Ponso Gotladera to go up against Ola Adeogun. 

Missing out on filoil due to a torn hamstring. Sorry to the fans and supporters, very unfortunate and ill timed.
— Arnold van Awesome (@Arnoldvanopstal) April 3, 2012

• Intriguing rookie match-up: Julius Armon versus Jeron Teng. Of course, Armon has several years on Teng, plus experience playing in the Fr. Martin Cup, while Teng is fresh from high school, though to his credit, he has played in international competition. Still, Armon is much more of a polished product at this point than Teng that this could get out of hand should they face off one-on-one. 

NU vs JRU

• The last time these two teams played, it was in the PCCL and a Bobby Ray Parks-less NU team fell 66-62 to a complete JRU squad.
• NU's biggest weakness, an average of 19.14 turnovers per game, happens to be JRU's strength, 21.58 turnovers forced for 18.37 turnover points. If the Heavy Bombers defense can disrupt the undersized NU point guards, Cedrick Labing-isa, Robin Rono, Gelo Alolino, and rookie JJ Alejandro, this could be a long game for the Bulldogs
• Intriguing match-up: John Villarias (10.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals) versus Bobby Ray Parks (20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals).

PCCL 2011 - FEU vs CSJL

Three Up

• Letran's team defense deserves a huge round of applause for their 25-7 fourth quarter shutdown of FEU. All in all, the Tams went 3 for 19 from the field, with two made shots by Russel Escoto and one by Carl Bryan Cruz, and 1 of 7 from the stripe, also by Cruz. The UAAP runners-up got nothing from their explosive trio of guards, as RR Garcia, Terrence Romeo and Mike Tolomia combined to go 0 of 9 on field goals, and 0 of 2 from the line. 
• Mark Cruz simply knows how to play in big moments, helping to fuel the Knights' rally in the final period. Playing eight of the last ten minutes, Cruz had a point for each minute and dished out all four of his assists in that span. Overall, the rookie floor general had 25 markers, enough to offset his nine turnovers.
• An Aldrech Ramos versus Raymond Alamazan match-up would have been fun to watch, but alas, Ramos was off practicing with his ABL team already. That left Almazan to dominate the interior to the tune of 14 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks, as the likes of Escoto, Cruz, Foronda, and Bringas were unable to match-up with the big man. Makes you wonder why the FEU braintrust didn't roll with Christian Sentcheu for longer than his one minute of play. 

 Three Down

• RR Garcia rushed over from his PBA-DL, getting onto the court in the second quarter, but he was clearly winded, playing 20 ineffective minutes for eight points on 2 of 9 shooting, plus a rebound, two assists, a steal, three turnovers and four fouls. 
• After a season in the UAAP trying to learn the point guard position, Terrence Romeo dishes out a massive...zero assists in 36 minutes. Though he's listed as the point guard, Romeo, especially early on without Garcia, seemed to relish dominating the rock. To a certain extent, he was successful, with a team-best 17 points on so-so 7 of 18 shooting, but he failed to come up with anything in the final quarter when they needed him to make something out of nothing. 
• Jam Cortes can't seem to get going against UAAP teams, putting up sub-par numbers once more. After a 25-minute, six point, 3 of 9 performance against DLSU, Cortes managed a pitiful four points on 2 of 10 shooting in 34 minutes in this affair. Maybe he'll snap out of his funk when they play SSC-R in the province? 

Random Notes

• Star player of the Knights Kevin Alas and his father, Coach Louie Alas both missed this game and will be out until the second week of December due to Kevin's ABA training. 

PCCL 2011: FEU vs CSJL

PCCL 2011 - CSJL vs DLSU

Three Up

• Like the Adamson game, Letran was able to get clutch performances from two role players on route to the win, namely Kevin Racal and Mark Cruz. After scoring 13 and 12 points in the first two quarters as a team, the dynamic duo combined for 15 of their team's 22 points, two more than the entire Green Archers' team output of 12. Racal went 7 of 8 from the line in that period, finishing 10 of 12 from the stripe, the first time he broke double-figures in that stat in his Letran career. Cruz on the other hand, was simply on fire, making 4 of his 6 shots in the period, making up for a 0/5 first half start. 
• The other big piece of the Letran puzzle? Mythical Five big man Raymond Almazan. The Most Improved Player of 2011 pulled down 17 rebounds, dished out 3 assists and blocked 7 shots in 29 minutes as he protected Letran's shaded lane. To wit, no Archer had more than 9 rebounds or more than 2 assists, and the team as a whole blocked just 3 shots.
• To La Salle's credit, the Archers did not back down from the physical nature of the Knights, in fact, I think they actually out-toughed them in the game's first half, with multiple Letran players hitting the floor and shooting daggers at the refs who swallowed their whistles. Almond Vosotros certainly took the lead in this, getting into the heads of Mark Cruz and Kevin Alas early. Too bad, they couldn't adjust to the more aggressive play of their opponents in the second half. 

Three Down

• Of course Joshua Webb has a poor game after I gave him props for his improved play in the entire PCCL tourney. Hampered by foul trouble (he fouled out) and a shot that wouldn't drop (0/6) from the field, Webb had to settle for attacking the rim, which he was able to do (6/8 FT). Interestingly, twice the Archers had Webb far above the top of the three-point line before driving into the lane, drawing a foul both times. I don't think his first step is going to beat anyone, but if you allow him to build up a head of steam, his defender sagged off him both times, he becomes hard to stop. 
• With La Salle's big men in foul trouble, the guards needed to bail their team out. Unfortunately, LA Revilla and Almond Vosotros were a combined 5 of 20 from the field, though they managed a 6 for 6 clip from the line between them. They definitely felt the absence of Luigi Dela Paz, who was watching from the sideline with his fractured elbow. 
• Conversely, Letran's big men, save for Almazan, underperformed. Jam Cortes finished with 6 points on 3 of 9 shooting with no free throw attempts, and just four rebounds. Jonathan Belorio went scoreless with just one shot attempt, but at least had seven boards. 

Random Notes

• With Kevin Alas gone for the US and the ABA for a month, the team is down their best scorer headed into their next PCCL game. They're already playing without Franz Dysam, who is concentrating on his studies, so the backcourt, especially at the point guard spot, is thin. Letran had to make do with Carlo Lituania (5 points, 1 steal, in 8 minutes) but is he ready for more minutes?  

 

PCCL 2011: CSJL vs DLSU

NCAA S87 F4 Preview: #2 SSCR vs #3 CSJL

History Lesson:
Jul. 20: San Sebastian 71 - Letran 62 (recap)
Sept. 30: Letran 82 - San Sebastian 81(OT) (recap)

How CSJL could win: An early 25-10 hole in the first meeting between these two teams gave Letran fits, as they ran out of time trying to eat into a lead which they were never able to overturn. The Knights played things closer in the second game, down 20-15, but tying things up at the half, before taking a small lead at the end of three quarters. The difference came down to tactics. Letran had 18 second-chance points (thanks to a 20 rebound edge on the offensive glass), to just nine by San Sebastian, with a tie in turnover points. Game two saw Letran go back to what they do best, with a 22-8 turnover point score, but a 17-8 deficit in second-chance points. Making the decision easier is the fact that the Stags turn it over 21.58 times, worst in the league.


CSJL could use big games from:

• Kevin Alas. Letran's best scorer was sidelined with five fouls in round one, finishing with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Playing more in check in round two, Alas played all but five minutes, tallying 22 points, six rebounds and 10 assists in the win.
• Franz Dysam. The Robin to Alas' Batman also played poorly, with a five point, two assist, one steal game in round one. That jumped up to 12 points, three assists and three steals in the rematch.

How SSCR could win: The Stags have a knack for starting strong, holding foes down to an average of just 31 points in the first half, thanks in part to shutting down the outside shot, just 25.32 percent allowed from outside the arc. Their second half defense is much weaker however, as their points allowed shoot up to 39.16. Thus it becomes imperative that San Sebastian start strong and construct a large enough lead to survive the second half, something their offense was unable to sustain versus San Beda in their last two matches. To do that, they need to get out and run. They norm 14.11 transition points but notched just 20 in two games versus the Red Lions, and haven't hit 20 points since CSB nearly a month ago.


SSCR could use a big game from:

• Calvin Abueva. "The Beast" was miserable in round two, going 1 for 12 from the field, though he made up for it with a 14 for 15 stint at the line and 20 rebounds. For sure, he'll want to bounce back after that kind of a shooting night.
• Ronald Pascual. San Sebastian's inside-out threat averages 40 percent from the field this season, but he hasn't gone over 40 percent in his last seven games, shooting just 31.71 percent in that time.
• Ian Sangalang. The third-year center loves this match-up. He's averaged 22 points on 65.22 percent shooting, 16 rebounds and 3.5 blocks, as the Knights are often powerless to stop the big guy.

Prediction: SSCR Stags

One Day Later: CSB vs EAC, CSJL vs SBC

Alright, technically two days later...

CSB 82 - EAC 73
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Michael Pate hadn't gotten the advantage of major minutes in prior games, but with Jonathan Grey sitting this one out after getting stitches from when they played Letran, Pate showed why he was a big-time prospect this summer, scoring 18 points off the bench, including a 4 of 7 clip from downtown. The former LSGH Greenie also had three boards, three assists and a block in his 26 minutes, helping CSB gain separation from EAC rallies.

By the Numbers :

• Benilde went with a running attack in this match, getting 19 points in transition. But it was perfectly executed at times, leading them to coughing up the ball 25 times, which gave EAC 25 turnover points.
• The missing link in this game for the Generals was their outside shooting, as they finished just 1 for 12 from outside the arc. It's not like the Blazers were really guarding the perimeter either, they just missed their shots.

The Other Names :

• With Joshua Torralba continuing to struggle since his return from a groin injury (21 minutes, six points, two rebounds, two turnovers), Jan Jamon once again was the focal point of the EAC offense, scoring 20 in 29 minutes, on 7 of 16 shooting, plus a 6 for 8 stint at the line. He also hauled down seven boards, dished out two assists, and made a steal.
• Jan Tan bounced back from his horrible shooting performance versus Letran to go 4 for 8 from the field, good for 10 points. Combined with his 12 rebounds, Tan finished with a double-double that went nicely with his two blocks.

The scoring machine - Garvo Lanete proved the constant in this game (pic source)

SBC 84 - CSJL 68
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : With his teammates falling victim to foul trouble around him, Garvo Lanete showed how reliable he is, spreading his 28 points over the four quarters. Finishing 9 of 22 from the field with seven free throws, Lanete made several clutch shots, asserting himself in a must-win game for San Beda

By the Numbers :

• Letran kept attacking the rim, and when the dust settled, Kyle Pascual, David Semerad, and Dave Marcelo each had four fouls, while Anthony Semerad, Jake Pascual and Mychole Sorela were tagged with three a piece. Still, the two teams shot the same number of free throws, 20, and San Beda even made more of them, 16. And all the attention to the San Beda bigs allowed Garvo Lanete, and big-man gunner Anthony Semerad to get open looks from beyond the arc. 
• San Beda controlled the hustle point categories, leading the Knights in all three statistics. They led 17-10 in transition points, 19-14 in turnover points, and 9-6 in second-chance points. Letran typically needs wins at least two of those categories, so it was no surprised they lost this one.

The Other Guys :

• Bothered all season by one ailment or another, Anthony Semerad finally returned and showed just how deadly this San Beda team is with him as an option off the bench. In 19 minutes, the more shooty Semerad scored 16 points, going 3 of 5 from downtown, 5 of 9 overall, providing a spark for the defending champs.
• Kevin Alas was thwarted all game long by San Beda's defense. Scoring just 14 points, Alas missed all four of his outside attempts, and was just 5 for 11 inside the arc, as the physical nature of the game prevented him from finding his rhythm.

NCAA Picking Record: 62-23-3

NCAA S87: CSJL vs SBC

History Lesson:
Down by 11 at the start of the fourth quarter, Letran couldn't get going at the start of the final period, surrendering four straight scores by the Red Lions, putting them in jeopardy. Making matters worse was the fact that their big men, Jam Cortes and Jonathan Belorio, fouled out in the process of those four scores. The sole remaining Knights big man, Raymond Almazan, was able to make it 12 after hitting two charities, 58-49, but by then, the offense of Letran had been exhausted, and San Beda was able to kill time, resulting in the 77-62 win. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• At 14-3, Letran wants to end their elimination round stint with a victory. Doing so would send the 14-2 San Beda Red Lions to their third loss, and open the door for the Knights to climb up to the second seed should the defending champs fall once more to San Sebastian. On the other hand, should San Beda win, they effectively lock up the twice to beat advantage in the Final Four and could go up to #1 depending on the margin of victory (quotient rule)

CSJL Stat to Watch : Despite being the team known for getting to the line most frequently with an average of 31.65 attempts per game, it was the Red Lions who were more aggressive in round one, taking 26 free throws to just 18 by the Knights. Given their lack of depth up-front, Cortes and Belorio ought to be the guys taking it to the rim, and not the other way around, lest they get a repeat and find themselves on the bench with five fouls.
CSJL Player to Watch : San Beda saw Raymond Alamazan as a non-threat to score and the big guy proved them wrong, finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. He also got to the line a team-best 14 times, making eight charities. More importantly, he also finished with 0 fouls.

SBC Stat to Watch : Since their loss to JRU, San Beda has worked on honing their pressure defense. In the last four games, they've upped their average in turnover points from 17.1 to 20.5 despite dropping from 20 forced turnovers a game to 16.5. It's bound to be a chippy game if these two sides decide to press each other to death.
SBC Player to Watch : San Beda's extra possessions guy Jake Pascual scored just four points, but hauled down six offensive rebounds and blocked four shots in 25 minutes. His hustle will really help this team, and his defense will be called upon to hold Cortes down.

Prediction: CSJL Knights

One Day Later: CSJL vs CSB, JRU vs MIT

Carlo Lastimosa and the rest of the Blazers came up short versus Letran (pic source)

CSJL 72 - CSB 60
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : The small but deadly rookie Mark Cruz nailed two big triples to help the Knights stay ahead, finishing with 11 points, (2/2 from beyond the arc, 3/4 from the field, 4/4 from the line) four rebounds, an assist and a steal to no turnovers. He's a great change of pace point guard from the more conservative Franz Dysam, and despite his lack of size, does not back down at all to those he guards.

By the Numbers :

• Scoring five points in just a quarter in an embarrassment...but then again, CSB did get to within two points, twice. And when it was all said and done, Letran won by "just" 12 points, one more than the difference in the first quarter (16 to 5). 
• As expected, Letran dominated the boards, 54 to 33, 17 to 11 on the offensive glass, leading to a whopping 10 to 2 score in second-chance points for the Knights.
• CSB managed to lead in two of the hustle point stats, 19 to 12 in fastbreak points, including 13 in the third quarter, and 13 to 4 on turnover points, after making eight less mistakes than Letran's 18. 
• Benilde came from back to back games in which they shot better than 80 percent from the field, and were norming 65 percent from the line entering this game. Unfortunately, they were just 22 of 39 in this match, or 56 percent. 

The Other Names :

• The expected shoot-out between Kevin Alas and Carlo Lastimosa was a bit of a dud, unless you're a fan of misses. Alas led Letran with 16 points, but he was 5 for 13 from the field, 6 of 16 from the line in 35 minutes. Lastimosa on the other hand was the opposite of his efficient game versus San Beda, going 4 of 14 to finish with 11 points in 23 minutes, splitting his six free throws. Alas also finished with five turnovers, while Lastimosa made just two errors.
• Jam Cortes dominated inside with 12 points and 14 rebounds, but had five turnovers. 
• I understand that shooters have to shoot themselves out of slumps, but Jan Tan's inability to can medium-range jumpers hurt his team's momentum numerous times as the guards kept driving and dishing to him at the elbow. Tan finished 1 for 11 from the field for four points in 32 minutes. Had that been Mark Romero, this game would have been a lot more close. 

One-man team, but the Snake couldn't do it alone in his final game as a Cardinal (pic source)

JRU 78 - MIT 64
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : The Alex Almario of the summer league was a hyper-efficient, pass first floor general, one that has yet to rear its head in the NCAA proper. That said, Almario has been scoring, and he had his best game of the season in this match, finishing with 17 points on 5 of 9 shooting from the field, 7 of 8 from the line. With the defense keying in on guys like Raycon Kabigting and Nate Matute, Almario was often able to score unopposed.

By the Numbers :

• Through a combination of JRU defense, and what seemed like unpreparedness, Mapua found its offense sputtering throughout the game. They scored just 64 points, down from an average of 72 headed into the game. They got their second-worst three-point shooting performance this season (just 14 percent, with their worst being seven percent), and a 51 percent rate at the line, after norming 62 percent in their other 17 games.
• I've long criticized MIT head coach Chito Victolero's inability to manage the playing time of his guys, and this could clearly be seen in this game. While he finally realized that you need to play Allan Mangahas in crunchtime, he then went and gave Josan Nimes just three useless minutes when the game was out of reach, and completely forgot about big man Mark Sarangay. Prior to the fourth quarter, Nimes had scored nine points, while Sarangay was responsible for eight. 
• The Heavy Bombers creamed MIT in several categories, including all the hustle stats, but the most important figure might be assists, where they had a 17 to 8 advantage, a number that says a lot about both teams. 

The Other Names :

• All four of JRU's double-digit scorers came from their backcourt. Aside from Almario, Raycon Kabigting, John Villarias and Nate Matute combined for 37 points on 14 of 28 shooting, with each adding a triple to the mix. 
• Do-it-all Mangahas was the only Cardinal in double-figures, scoring 22 on 10 of 18 shooting. He also had seven boards and two assists in his final collegiate game.
• Big man Ralph Monserat came off the JRU bench and contributed nine points and six rebounds, outplaying his Mapua counterparts.
• Yousef Taha was apparently suspended for this game due to disciplinary reasons by the team. Yes, on the very last game of the season when they had a chance to force a playoff for the fourth seed. That's both very brave, and very stupid.

NCAA Picking Record: 61-21-2

NCAA S87: CSJL vs CSB

History Lesson:
Normally known for their defense, the Letran Knights got suckered into a shoot-out, as both sides simply traded baskets for most of the game. For three quarters, St. Benilde was able to keep things tight, with a Jan Tan basket knocking the lead down to single digits, 80-72, in the first salvo of the fourth. That was the last time they'd be that close though, as a 15-6 Letran run by big men Jam Cortes and Jonathan Belorio sent the Blazers staggering. Carlo Lastimosa attempted a belated rally, but there simply wasn't enough time, and by then, even the Letran third-stringers had caught fire, closing out the game with a 7-0 run. The final score read 112-91, as Coach Alas' troops earned the distinction of being the first team to break the century mark in the season. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• Letran improved to 13-3 after inflicting the first loss on San Sebastian. If they're to force a playoff with San Beda for the second seed though, they'll have to hope the defending champions suffer at least one more loss, while they themselves take care of business. That means the Knights can't overlook the Blazers, as they did to the Altas.
• St. Benilde's 5-10 record means they have an outside shot of forcing a playoff for the fourth seed, should JRU, Mapua and Lyceum all suffer horrific collapses. That's highly unlikely, but they'll want to put themselves in a position to benefit should the highly improbable happen.

CSJL Stat to Watch : The Knights got more looks at the basket, which translated easily into more points. They took 20 more attempts than St. Benilde's 57, courtesy of a combination of offensive rebounds (28) and Blazer turnovers (19). Given how Benilde gives up the most offensive boards (17.53) in the league, the latter might be more likely, seeing as how CSB on a good day, turns the ball over just 17.33 times, fourth best in the NCAA.
CSJL Player to Watch : The Knights exploited CSB's lack of height by getting the ball down low to Jam Cortes, who responded with 19 points and 12 rebounds. With Mark Romero no longer around for the Blazers, that further decreases the frontcourt options available to them to stop the Letran bigs like Cortes.

CSB Stat to Watch : The Blazers were able to stay in step with Letran in terms of freethrow attempts, getting 42 to the Knights' 43. If CSB makes a concentrated effort to attack the rim and get the opponent's bigs into foul trouble, they may have a shot at winning this game.
CSB Player to Watch : In his first game back since his whatever-you-want-to-call-it one game absence from the team, Carlo Lastimosa played an efficient 19 minutes, leading to 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting. While he'll likely be tempted to draw Kevin Alas into a shootout, a more measured performance might serve CSB better, considering how the Knights can turn misses into long rebounds into fastbreak opportunities for themselves.

Prediction: CSJL Knights

One Day Later: LPU vs SBC, SSCR vs CSJL

The run and gun San Beda Red Lions snuffed out Lyceum in transition (pic source)

SBC 101 - LPU 67
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Melo Lim showed a new side of his game, attacking the rim, both in the halfcourt and in transition, to show that he's more than just a three-point shooter (he missed all three of his attempts from outside). The head coach's son tallied 14 points in 20 minutes, shooting 5 of 9 from the inside the arc and a perfect 4 for 4 from the line. He also added three rebounds, four assists and a steal to no turnovers in his short, but productive stint.

By the Numbers :

• San Beda has been working on their man to man pressure defense, and it was clearly evident in this game as they forced Lyceum into 24 turnovers for 29 turnover points. 
• The Red Lions also ran a whole lot off Lyceum misses, getting 24 fastbreak points, 18 in the first half, while holding the Pirates to just 14 the entire game. 
• Surprisingly, the Pirates did not zone a whole lot the entire game, but perhaps they should have more, seeing as how their opponents were a mediocre 1 for 11 from beyond the arc. They themselves were not much better though, making 2 of their 15 triple attempts.
• Another huge advantage for the Red Lions was the freethrow differential, as they got to the line 47 times for 32 makes, a far cry from Lyceum's 13 of 19 clip. 

The Other Names :

• Props go out to Lyceum's "big" men Mark Francisco and Onofre Napiza. Both shot fifty percent from the field in the face of the much taller SBC frontcourt while finishing with double-doubles. Francisco was 5 of 10 for 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, while Napiza was 6 of 12, leading to 12 points and 11 rebounds. 
• The Pascual duo for San Beda had big outings as well in the game. Kyle Pascual finished with a double-double of 18 and 12, while Jake Pascual scored just six points, but had 12 boards and six dimes. 

Sweep away - San Sebastian's undefeated streak ended at the hands of Letran (pic source)

CSJL 82 - SSCR 81
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Kevin Alas seemingly couldn't make a shot from the left wing above the three-point line, a fact Ronald Pascual seemed to identify as he sagged off him on defense. However, Alas made the shot when they needed it the most, casually throwing up a triple that was nothing but net. Overall, Alas, playing with a sprained ankle, played 40 minutes while tallying 22 points (8 of 25 shooting), six rebounds, 10 assists and four steals.

By the Numbers :

• Letran feasted off San Sebastian errors, turning 23 turnovers into 22 turnover points. That was huge, considering how the Knights were unable to get out and run, scoring a measly two fastbreak points.
• While the Knights got turnover points, the Stags scored on second-chance opportunities. They enjoyed a 58-40 rebounding advantage, 18 to 11 on the offensive glass, but they couldn't get the most important one, as Alas snatched Abueva' miss with seconds left on the clock to deny San Sebastian another look at winning the game in overtime.
• Head coach Louie Alas of Letran said that he instructed his squad to play more loose on defense, instead of the tight, in your face style that has come to typify Letran. The switch worked, forcing the Stags into 23 of 67 shooting from the field, or 34 percent. 

The Other Names : 

• Bothered by foul trouble early on, Raymond Almazan came up big late in the game with some game-changing blocks. Overall, the big man finished with four denials and eight boards, surviving four fouls to stay in the game during the extra five minutes.
• Ronald Pascual did his best to keep his team in it, tying the game late in regulation and in overtime. One wonders if the result would be different if he had the ball in his hands on that last play instead of Abueva. Overall though, Pascual finished with 25 points, five rebounds and four assists, with 14 of his points coming in the last 15 minutes of the game.
• Speaking of Abueva, he too was hampered by foul trouble, leading to him missing a long stretch between the third and fourth quarters. He still managed 16 points in 29 minutes. To nitpick though, he was a horrible 1 for 12 from the field, but made up for it with a 14 for 15 stretch at the line, and a team-high 20 rebounds. 

NCAA Picking Record: 59-21-2 

NCAA S87: SSCR vs CSJL

History Lesson:
Kevin Alas nearly engineered a comeback for the Letran Knights, as twin buckets had them within three points, 51-48. That was far as they would go though, as the San Sebastian Stags went to their main man Calvin Abueva to halt the bleeding. "The Beast" delivered with an and-one play, and then Ronald Pascual added to the tally, making it 56-48 in a blink of an eye. They could have padded it further, with an outlet pass going Abueva's way, but Alas was there to give up the foul. Unfortunately, that happened to be his fifth personal, and with him out, the Knights gasped one last breath, in the form of Mark Cruz and Kevin Racal scores, before finally collapsing under the Stags' offense, 71-62. (Recap here)

What's at Stake: 

• The Stags are three games away, 15-0, from an elimination-round sweep and will likely be looking to assert their dominance after back to back heart attack games courtesy of Perpetual Help and Mapua. 
• Letran suffered a shocking loss to the Perpetual Help Altas, sending them down to third place with a 12-3 record, conceding the second seed to the San Beda Red Lions. Beating the current chart-toppers would not only help their morale, but marring San Sebastian's perfect record also means stopping a potential stepladder situation.

SSCR Stat to Watch : Simply put, defense wins championships, as well as key regular season match-ups. In their first encounter, the Stags were able to put the clamps on the Knights, holding them to a season-low 25.27 percent from the field, helped out by their "encouragement" to Letran to take outside shots (they were just 4 for 31, for another season-low, 12.9 percent from downtown). A repeat of that performance is unlikely, but something close to that (see what Perpetual Help did, for example) would certainly key in a win.
SSCR Player to Watch : Ronald Pascual was surprisingly low-key in their first match, scoring just 13, without a triple and notching six turnovers to boot. He was however able to draw scoreless outing from VJ Espiritu so it wasn't all bad. But if the Knights are able to contain Sangalang, then Abueva simply can't do it alone and will need his outside shooting to help space out the defenders.

CSJL Stat to Watch : Hustle points might be the key to stopping San Sebastian. The Knights got a some of that right by doubling the Stags' second-chance points 18 to 9. But despite forcing 20 turnovers on their opponents, the Knights only managed 10 turnover points, the same amount the Pinatubo Trio and company scored off their 14 errors. After scoring just four in that stat versus the Altas, the Knights simply have to get back to their strengths.
CSJL Player to Watch : Raymond Almazan posted 11 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks while battling Ian Sangalang to a standstill in round one, and that's the sort of performance the Knights will need from him. They're in trouble if he falls to foul trouble early, as he's their best match-up versus his San Sebastian positional counterpart.

Prediction: Letran Knights

One Day Later: UPHSD vs CSJL, MIT vs EAC

UPHSD 68 - CSJL 53
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Jett Vidal led all scorers with 18 points in this game on 5 of 13 shooting. The more important number though is his 7 of 8 stint at the foul line, just the second time this season he's gotten eight looks at the stripe.

The Numbers :

• Letran simply could not make shots in this game, finishing with a 32.73 percent shooting clip (18 of 55) from the field, and 45.83 percent (11 of 24) from the foul line. They had shot worse from the field versus San Sebastian in round one (25.27 percent), but this was their worst free throw shooting night, so having both in the same game truly doomed the Knights.
• More worsts for Letran: they scored their second-lowest number of fastbreak points (just four), and their lowest turnover points (four), the first time they scored in single-digits in that category this season.
• Truth be told, the Altas also shot poorly from the field, finishing at exactly 33.33 percent, but they made one more triple at a more efficient rate than Letran (7 for 21 versus 6 for 24), and they made most of their charities (21 of 26 for 81 percent). 
• The Knights entered this game forcing an average of 22 turnovers, but Perpetual Help made just eight miscues. On the flipside, the Altas baited Letran into 23 turnovers, five each from Jam Cortes, Kevin Alas and Mark Cruz, and scored 21 turnover points of those mistakes.

The Other Names :

• Not a bad outing by Justine Alano, considering the big men of Letran. He played 26 minutes and scored 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting, while also pulling down six rebounds.
• Jam Cortes returned from suspension and his rhythm was clearly off, scoring 11 but needing 12 attempts to get it. He did finish with 11 boards and a block, but he was also a pitiful 1 of 6 from the stripe.

MIT 98 - EAC 73
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Josan Nimes regained his touch and showed off his passing ability, tallying 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting (he missed all of his triples however, 0/4) and six assists, a career-high. If the rookie scoring machine can add to his repertoire a passing game, he could become a truly memorable player for Mapua.

The Numbers :

• Mapua simply creamed EAC in the various hustle points categories. They outscored the Generals in transition, 21 to 10, with 12 coming in the decisive fourth quarter, on second-chance points, 16 to 7, and on turnover points, 20 to 13.
• Another huge advantage for the Cardinals were their free throws, they got 31 looks and made 24, while the Generals saw the stripe a pathetic six times the entire game, and made just half. 
• All 14 players fielded in for Mapua managed to score, including those inserted in the final two minutes, Darrel Magsigay, Jeson Cantos and Michael Abad. 

The Other Names :

• Jan Jamon was instrumental in giving the EAC fans some hope, getting his squad close, but never over the hump, unfortunately. All in all, he scored 27 points on 5 of 9 three-point shooting, and 6 of 9 shooting inside the arc. He however did not get to the line, and added just three boards and an assist.
• Yousef Taha also had an impressive outing, completing the rookie one-two punch for Mapua. The big man had 19 points on 6 of 9 field goal shooting and a personal best, 7 for 7 from the stripe. He also chipped in 11 boards, five assists, two steals and a block.

NCAA S87: UPHSD vs CSJL

History Lesson:
Playing their third game in seven days, the host school Altas did not have the energy to keep up with the pressure defense and running game of the Letran Knights. In a game that was close in just the first quarter (17-9, Letran up), Perpetual Help struggled to score, while shedding points like crazy on the other end, giving up 21 fastbreak points and 22 turnover points. All in all, with a final score of 74-43, the Altas were cursed with the lowest scoring output in three seasons. (Recap here) 


What's at Stake:

• At 12-2, the Knights are tied with the San Beda Red Lions for the second seed, which based on tie-breakers right now, they'll have to give up to the defending champs, having lost to them in the first round. If Letran wants to keep their hold on that twice-to-beat advantage, they'll have to keep winning, starting with this game and extending to their rematch with the Bedans.
• The 3-13 Altas are firmly out of the race, but will aim to keep improving on two win total from last season.

UPHSD Stat to Watch : The Altas notched the fewest field goals made of any team this season with the 14 they tallied versus Letran. Simply put, if the Knights are going to pressure them from start to finish again, then if they manage to keep possession, they'll have to convert at a higher rate. They turned the ball over 29 times, giving the Altas a mere 54 looks at the basket. Either the former should decrease, or the latter should increase.
UPHSD Player to Watch : In the past two games of the Altas, Scottie Thompson has been their most dynamic or active player, averaging 13 points and 9.5 rebounds in that span. That's the sort of energy they'll need to play the same pace as the Knights, and his ball-handling skills will definitely come into play here.

CSJL Stat to Watch : If the turnover and transition points aren't there, the Knights have a third avenue for scoring, and that's the foul line, where they've attempted an average of 44.5 charities in their past two games. They've only made about 57.4 percent of those free throws though, a clear area for improvement for this team.
CSJL Player to Watch : If the Letran front court is a three-headed monster,  then Jonathan Belorio might be the runt of the pack, with his numbers dipping across the board in the second round. Not even a boost in playing time brought about by the suspension of Jam Cortes lifted him, as he's now gone six games without scoring in double-digits. The tiny Altas line-up may help him regain his groove though.

Prediction: CSJL Knights

One Day Later: CSJL vs EAC, MIT vs SBC

All out Alas - Kevin Alas continues to solidify his case for MVP (pic source)

CSJL 80 - EAC 58
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Kevin Alas turned in his usual dynamic performance, leading both teams in scoring with 20 points, while also tallying 11 rebounds, six assists, and a block and a steal each. No doubt though, he had a bad shooting night, going 8 of 24 from the field, and 4 of 11 from the stripe.

The Numbers :

• EAC kept things close in the first half by out-rebounding Letran, 22-20, helping them knot the game at 35 all going into the break. By the end of the game, the Knights were able to assert themselves on the boards, finishing 46-41, 18-14 on the offensive glass.
• A huge disparity in the foul shooting bears mentioning, as Letran attempted 45 free throws to just 13 by the Generals, highlighting their different styles of play. Despite a horrid 49 percent clip at the line, the Knights still hit more free throws, 22 than all of what EAC attempted.
• Letran forced 32 turnovers on EAC, but their transition game was off as they only converted those errors into 13 turnover points. Contrast that with the 19 turnovers of Letran becoming 18 turnover points by EAC.
• Jam Cortes had tallied three flagrant-one fouls, thus earning him an automatic suspension for this game. That also prevents him from notching any post-season plumes, a shame since he was in the top 5 of the MVP Race and likely would have been a Mythical Five contender.
• Horrible outing for the EAC guards. Milan Vargas, Igee King, Roy Villegas, Joshua Torralba and Franz Chiong all combined for a whopping 12 points on 4 of 17 shooting and 11 turnovers.

The Other Names :

• Only Remy Morada was an effective backcourt player for EAC, scoring 15 in 23 minutes off the bench, along with three boards, four dimes and four swipes. He did miss all five of his treys though, but otherwise was 6 for 10 from inside the arc. 
• Junjun Alas was the beneficiary in minutes with Cortes out, scoring 12 in 17 minutes, including a triple. He also had three boards, a steal and a block. 

One man band - Allan Mangahas could not carry the Cardinals to a win (pic source)

SBC 76 - MIT 59
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : The biggest area of improvement many people felt Baser Amer had going into his rookie season was his outside shooting, well clearly he's been working on it, as he drained 3 of 4 triples in the first half that provided timely separation from the Cardinals. All in all, Amer scored 13 on 5 of 6 shooting, to go with three boards, four dimes and a steal.

The Numbers :

• Key numbers for San Beda: get 40 or more rebounds and 10 or more fastbreak points, things they did not do versus JRU. Well, check and check, as they hauled down 42 rebounds and scored 12 fastbreak points.
• For whatever reason, the bigs of San Beda were extremely foul happy, unable to contain their Mapua counterparts. Dave Marcelo and Kyle Pascual both fouled out, while David Semerad finished with four fouls. But the guards of the Red Lions had a similar problem, with Anjo Caram and Rome Dela Rosa both tallying four as well. All in all, they notched a season-high 32 fouls, and sent Mapua to the line 35 times. Luckily, the Cardinal made just 18 of them, a 51 percent clip.
• Horrible stat #2 that probably cost Mapua the game: a season-low five assists, just the second time since the season opener when they had single-digit assists.
• Horrible stat #3 that probably cost Mapua the game: a second-worst for the season 11 bench points. 
• San Beda shot 7 for 13 from outside, contributing to a 46 percent rate from the field, 27 of 58.

The Other Names :

• As the lone big man who avoided foul trouble, Jake Pascual played 31 minutes and finished with 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. He did have the worst shooting night though, scoring nine but on 4 of 15 shooting.
• Allan Mangahas tried to will his team back from the dead, scoring 12 of his 19 points in the third quarter, but it simply wasn't enough. He was also the only Cardinal with more than a single assist in the game.

NCAA Picking Record: 54-19-1

NCAA S87: CSJL vs EAC

History Lesson: 
With their backcourt being held in check by their younger EAC counterparts, Letran turned to their three-headed frontcourt beast, and the big men responded in kind. Raymond Almazan, Jam Cortes and Jonathan Belorio dominated the interior to the tune of 43 points and 38 rebounds. Still, the Generals were able to threaten late, cutting a 66-52 lead to just six points with 1:21 left, but that would be their last gasp, as the Knights scored twice to seal the win, 76-67. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• At 11-2, the Knights are a half game ahead of the San Beda Red Lions, a place they want to be, because of the twice-to-beat advantage that is attached to the second seed. With the defending champions also playing on this day in the second game, Letran will want to keep up their pace, especially should the Lions collapse for a second straight time. 
• The 4-10 EAC Generals are still mathematically in the hunt for the fourth playoff seed, but that would require some mindblowing collapse from everyone ahead of them, making that highly unlikely. Instead, EAC may want to start trying to figure out their crowded backcourt and see if Claude Cubo can come close to replicating his 29-point game or even something close to that, on a regular basis.

CSJL Stat to Watch : Letran leads the league in 2-point attempts (54.77) owing to their league best 23.86 offensive rebounds, and luckily for them, they'll be playing EAC, the team that currently gives up the most points (81.21 a game) and also the most 2-point attempts (51.79). San Beda has already broken the century mark against this team twice, so it's certainly not out of the question that the Knights accomplish that feat. 

CSJL Player to Watch : Can Jam Cortes repeat history and come up with another monster performance, like his 18-20 outing in the first round? If Lyceum's Mark Francisco can put up huge numbers, then this ought to be a breeze for Cortes.

EAC Stat to Watch : At the risk of paraphrasing myself, I'll simply say that EAC is the worst rebounding team defensively, giving up 48.21 boards a game, while Letran is the second best rebounding team, at 50.23 per outing. Again, this cannot end well.

EAC Player to Watch : On the opposite end of the spectrum is Claude Cubo, and his 29 points, nine rebound outing versus the tiny Lyceum. Can he repeat versus the long arms of Raymond Almazan? Unlikely, but he needs to try to bring some balance to their offense.

Prediction: Letran Knights

UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings: Week 9 of 2011

The unified UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings throws everything into a blender, hits the button, and ducks as it first mashes up, and then sorts out all 18 teams of both leagues. Among other factors, the panel of one takes into consideration: the quality of opponents played in the past week, how the team fared against those opponents, whether or not a team is on a roll, be it an uphill or downhill, and other factors like injuries or internal disarray.

In the second to the last Power Rankings for 2011 (it's hard to do them four teams in the UAAP are ON VACATION), we see just one remaining undefeated squad take the top spot, and some minor jostling around as the NCAA teams can see the halfway point of the second round from over here. We spend some time talking about the offseason already with the booted UAAP teams, as the mid-section of the NCAA starts to settle as teams drop out of the race for the fourth seed, one by one.

One Day Later: LPU vs CSJL, SSCR vs CSB

CSJL 88 - LPU 74
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Kevin Alas notched a new career high, scoring 29 points on 8 of 18 shooting (just 1 of 5 from downtown, unfortunately). He also grabbed five rebounds, four on the offensive end, dished out 11 assists, and made three steals. With Letran forced to go small to match up with the tiny Knights, Alas was tapped to provide the offense, and he delivered.



LPU Positives :

• Despite the size disadvantage, the Pirates stayed even, getting 48 rebounds like the Knights, They even got more offensive rebounds, 26 to 22, leading to a sizable advantage in second-chance points, 19 to 9. 
• With the starters clearly struggling, it was the Lyceum bench that took charge, as their top four scorers were all reserves, and each scored in double-figures, led by Vence Laude's 14.

LPU Negatives :

• The Allan Santos saga was a nice feel-good story at the beginning of the season, as the former Falcon tore up the league with multiple double-doubles. But as time moved on, his numbers steadily declined, despite a short stint as a starter. After playing just four minutes in their last assignment, Santos found himself "indefinitely suspended" according to LPU Mancom, due supposedly to "unsettling" performances in past games. 
• For the second time in three games, the Pirates could not get out and run, scoring 0 transition points in five opportunities.

CSJL Positives :

• Raymond Almazan got back on track, hauling down 14 rebounds and blocking two shots in 22 minutes. This after three straight games for just single-digit caroms.
• The Knights limited Chris Cayabyab to just 3 of 13 shooting for nine points, while also forcing him into seven turnovers. Cayabyab also wasn't able to finish the game again, fouling out early in the fourth.

CSJL Negatives :

• 33 fouls is pretty excessive, considering how Lyceum doesn't contain any big man threats you'd rather put on the line instead of giving up an easy score. Some of those come from the pressure  defense, put there were also a couple of useless whistle-bait moves as well, and given Letran's reputation, for sure the refs are gonna call those. 

SSCR 86 - CSB 70
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Ian Sangalang stood head and shoulders above the other players, literally and figuratively, finishing with 20 points on 7 of 13 shooting, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. More importantly, of the "Big Three," he had the fewest turnovers with three.

SSCR Positives :

• The catalyst for San Sebastian's huge lead was the running game, as they got half of their 20 fastbreak points in the second quarter, when they were able to balloon the lead up to 21. 
• Jovit Dela Cruz has quietly been putting up some great numbers in the second round, as the unofficial "garbage man" for the Pinatubo Trio. He's averaged 9.75 points on 43 percent shooting, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.25 assists in the last four games.

SSCR Negatives :

• As the match devolved into pick-up game with guys whizzing outlet passes back and forth, the Stags came up on the short end of that stick, committing 21 turnovers, 18 by the "Big Three." That's the sort of thing that frustrates head coach Topex Robinson.
• The other thing that gets Robinson's goat? Useless fouls, especially among his bench guys like Arwin Vitug (four fouls) and Krushev Ferrer (three). As a result, CSB got to the line 27 times, just six less than the Stags.

CSB Positives :

• The Blazers got balanced scoring from their three main scorers, Taha, Grey and Lastimosa. Taha scored 16, Grey had 15, while Lastimosa added 14. 
• While not a pressing team or what-not, the Blazers were still able to capitalize on those 21 Stags turnovers, getting 27 turnover points from them and preventing a blowout of massive proportions.

CSB Negatives :

• The big men of CSB seemed to come up short, combining for just 10 points and 12 rebounds. It's no wonder they got whalloped on the boards, 60 to 35, and 18 to 13 on the offensive glass, although to their credit, both sides scored just four second-chance points each.

NCAA Picking Record: 48-15-1

NCAA S87: LPU vs CSJL

History Lesson:
The feisty Pirates hadn't led since the four minute mark of the first quarter, but that didn't stop them from unleashing a huge run that saw them start the fourth period down 64-48 to leading at 77-74. A drive and dish play by Kevin Alas to VJ Espiritu knotted things up with 38 seconds remaining, but neither side was able to pull ahead in the remaining time, necessitating overtime. There it seemed like Lyceum was outmatched by Letran, as Chris Cayabyab and Vence Laude were already riding the pine due to foul trouble, but Floricel Guevarra was still on the court, and his triple along with a split by Arwin Azores got them within three, with a chance to force a second overtime after Allan Santos came up with a steal. Unfortunately, by then their luck had run out, as Zamora's triple missed, and two more charities by Azores on the offensive rebound were not enough, allowing the Knights to escape with the 92-89 overtime win. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• In a rut, or a "two game losing streak" to be more precise, the 5-7 Lyceum Pirates get an opportunity to make up some ground today, first by slapping loss #3 on Letran, and second, by moving to within a half game of the current #4 Mapua, should they win.
• Letran is on a six-game roll, padding their record to 10-2 after ending Mapua's four-game streak. With their goal to upset either San Beda or San Sebastian, the Knights will want to keep their record pristine at that point, as well as keep increasing the separation between them and the gaggle of teams wanting to become #4. 

LPU Stat to Watch : Despite having the smaller team and giving up more rebounds, 59-45 total, 33-19 on the offensive glass, the feistier Lyceum Pirates got 15 to 6 advantage in second-chance points. That's the sort of thing they'll need to do again to keep this rematch close.
LPU Player to Watch : Allan Santos has been the missing ingredient for this team, as the last time he scored in double-figures was against this Letran team in round one. Things hit their nadir in their last game versus Perpetual Help when Santos played just four minutes, despite hauling down 14 rebounds in that span. They'll need him to go toe to toe with guys like Raymond Almazan and Jam Cortes because Onofore Napiza and Azores simply can't get it done.

CSJL Stat to Watch : Letran attempted a season-low seven triples in their first game versus Lyceum, but made three of them, at moments when they really needed them. But with the Pirates defense likely keying in on the big men and Kevin Alas, guys like Marvin Cruz, VJ Espiritu and Kevin Racal are likely to be wide open. If they can hit open triples, it'll be a pick your poison situation for Lyceum.
CSJL Player to Watch : Raymond Almazan has surprisingly failed to finish with double-digit rebounding in any of the team's three second round encounters, norming just eight. With the tiny big men of Lyceum matched up against him, that streak ought to end after this game. He had 13 in their first encounter, along with four blocks.

Prediction: CSJL Knights

One Day Later: CSJL vs MIT, JRU vs SSCR

Flight time - Kevin Alas soared for 20 points and a 5-5-5 stat line (pic source)

CSJL 69 - MIT 67
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Kevin Alas may have taken a ton of shots (if you consider 6 of 24 shooting "a ton of shots"), but he made them when they needed them the most, scoring nine in the fourth quarter, and helping to force overtime with a huge triple. The playmaker was also 6 of 8 from the field, and tallied five rebounds, five assists, and five steals, plus a block for good measure, in 40 minutes of play.

CSJL Positives :

• Letran stopped the Cardinals when it mattered, preventing them from connecting late in the fourth and overtime, to eke out this win. Mapua was held to just 25 percent three-point shooting, 32 percent two-point shooting, and 30 percent field goal shooting overall, all of which are five-game lows. 

CSJL Negatives :

• Just 16 attempts at the line is a season-low for the Knights, though they did manage to make 12 of them. Mapua's height was definitely a factor, discouraging drives to the rim. 
• Letran's bigs all disappeared late in the game, as Jam Cortes, Jonathana Belorio and Raymond Almazan combined for just two points in the fourth quarter and overtime.

MIT Positives :

• Not only did Mapua give up just 16 Letran trips to the line, they were also able to clamp down on all of Letran's hustle point stats: eight fastbreak points, 11 second chance points, and 14 turnover points. Normally opponents can stop one or two, but it's rare for all the Knights to get stymied in all three, and the Cardinals were able to pull it off.
• Yousef Taha was in beast mode in the second half, scoring 14 of his 18 points, while also finishing with 14 rebounds, half on the offensive end. He scored six straight to give Mapua a three-point lead, but fatigue got to the big guys as his turnover and miss moments later, led to Letran forcing an extra period.

MIT Negatives :

• Head coach Chito Victolero has a thing for stoppers at the shooting guard position, thus his insistence on trotting out guys like Jumel Chien and Andretti Stevens. The two combined to play 33 minutes, scoring seven points on 2 of 7 shooting, plus three rebounds. While I'm sure they must have bothered Kevin Alas even just a little bit, it shouldn't have resulted in Jonathan Banal playing just 21 minutes, and Allan Mangahas getting just 23 off the bench, especially when they needed guys to create a shot versus the Letran defense.
• Connected to above, the Cardinals needed more offense than ever, because Josan Nimes was rendered ineffective by the defense of VJ Espiritu. Nimes needed 18 attempts for his 16 points, added just two boards, no assists, and was 1 for 6 from downtown, his worst game, in four outings.

Behind the ball - Ronald Pascual came up aces, burning JRU for 33 points (pic source)

SSCR 78 - JRU 59
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Ronald Pascual could not be stopped, knocking down 11 of his 15 shots, six of nine from downtown, on route to a career-high 33 points, as he shredded the JRU defenses. He also added four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in the process of the rout of the Heavy Bombers.

SSCR Positives :

• The Stags murdered JRU on the boards, more than doubling the 28 hauled down by the Heavy Bombers with 64. It was also a rout on the offensive glass, 33 to 13, and as a result, San Sebastian came up huge in second chance points, 24 to just (!) 2. 
• Jovit Dela Cruz continues his improved play, finishing this game with nine points, nine rebounds and four assists. He's the next best scorer on this squad outside of the Big Three, but he's also contributing in all of the other categories too, which is necessary for when defenses tighten up on the Pampanga Trio

SSCR Negatives :

• It's the little things that annoys head coach Topex Robinson. Sure, the Stags got a 31 to 22 advantage in free throws, but they only converted 52 percent of them. They held JRU to just 15 turnover points, but San Sebastian still committed 25 errors. They were 6 of 12 from beyond the arc, but guess what? All six triples were by Ronald Pascual. 
• Outside of Jovit Dela Cruz, a whopping five points total were scored by guys not from the Pampanga Trio.

JRU Positives :

• ...None really. 

JRU Negatives :

• Raycon Kabigting and Nate Matute, the two guys who were supposed to be the outside marksmen of this team, continue to struggle, putting up a combined 1 for 8 from downtown. 
• Not a single Heavy Bomber finished with double-digit rebounds. In fact the best rebounder happened to be their point guard, Alex Almario, who had six. 
• John Lopez keeps getting into foul trouble and it's affecting his play, as he finished in single-digits yet again, six points and five rebounds in 27 minutes of play.

NCAA Picking Record: 46-15-1

NCAA S87: CSJL vs MIT

History Lesson:
A tight back and forth game through three quarters was blown wide open when the defense of the Letran Knights finally started to click, holding the Mapua Cardinals to just two field goals in the final quarter of this opening day game. Letran was up two at the start of the fourth, but scored 10 straight to kick off the quarter, as it took Mapua nearly five minutes before scoring, albeit on charities. The first field goal took seven minutes, a Yousef Taha dunk, but by then it was all over bar the shouting, and a little skirmish as well, as Taha was caught throwing the ball at the head of Kevin Alas. That got two Letran players off their bench, and the result was all three of them getting slapped with one-game suspensions, perhaps, a reasonable price to pay for the 76-65 upset, and a tone-setting first encounter for the now third place Letran team.  (Recap here)


What's at Stake:

• The Letran Knights are hanging around at third place with a 9-2 record. The hope is that either San Beda or San Sebastian slips, either by the Knights' hand or some other team, and that they can take advantage and move up in the standings. To do that though, they'll need to keep winning, and that means handling this suddenly surging Mapua squad.
• The MIT Cardinals have gone from 2-4 to 6-6, and coupled with some Lyceum offense no-shows, have usurped the fourth seed. They're not going to be content with that record though, especially with a pack of teams behind them waiting to push Mapua off the mountain. If they can defeat Letran, then that opens the possibility of moving all the way up to third should things line up for them.

CSJL Stat to Watch : The Letran defense has seriously tightened up in the last three games, as they've held opponents to under 20 field goals (an average of 18.67) and just 1.33 triples per game. Given Mapua's reliance on their shooting to win games, if the Knight can similarly shut down the perimeter, then the Cardinals will likely fold, similar to what happened in their first encounter.
CSJL Player to Watch : 6'7" center Raymond Almazan has just had a pair of mediocre games, failing to hit double-digit points or rebounds versus Arellano and JRU, as opponents have learned to keep him glued to the bench with foul trouble. They'll need him though to match up against Yousef Taha and the other Mapua bigs, so he shouldn't bite on every shot fake or else face the ire of head coach Louie Alas.

MIT Stat to Watch : Mapua was held to just three triples in their game versus Letran in the first round, their lowest total of the season, and only the second time they've shot less than five in a game (they had just 4 versus Arellano on 13 tries). But part of what did them in during their season opener was their insistence on taking those long bombs. Based on their last game against the Perpetual Help Altas, Mapua seems to have realized that getting their big man Yousef Taha involved helps get their shooters better spacing. If they can take higher percentage shots versus the Knights, then so much the better.
MIT Player to Watch : Josan Nimes has been the key to Mapua's resurgence, as he's scored at least 20 points in their four-game streak. His height makes him a size mismatch, but you can expect Letran to throw people like VJ Espiritu and Kevin Racal at him, possibly even Kevin Alas come crunchtime. In their first meeting, Nimes had just six points and a whopping five turnovers. He's no doubt looking for a chance to bounce back from that.


Prediction: CSJL Knights