FilOil 2012 - April 18 box scores

The box scores for AdU vs LPU, JRU vs EAC and SBC vs UST, under the cut

Updated to include ADMU vs UPHSD

FilOil Random Thoughts - Gameday April 18, 2012

In addition to this blog post, I also wrote the primer for GMA News Online. Give it a read why don't you? And then come back here.

LPU Pirates vs ADU Soaring Falcons

• Lyceum lost all seven of their games in last season's Fil-Oil, but rebounded nicely in the actual NCAA as a guest team. It will be interesting to see if head coach Bonnie Tan will be out to win or if he's going to be more focused on testing line-ups and working in their new players.
• Speaking of new players, Lyceum has two new centers, Daniel Garcia and Joseph Ambohot. Both though are ridiculously raw, based on what I saw of them in the Fr. Martin Cup. That said, it's unlikely Lyceum will be using them to score, and would rather they focus on rebounding. With Austin Manyara (6.0 rebs in 20.7 mins) and Eric Camson (7.6 rebs in 23.1 mins) standing across the court though, they may be in for a rough day.
• Adamson's point guard position has to worry fans of the Soaring Falcons, as they are going from Jerick Canada and Lester Alvarez to...Ryan Monteclaro. The team is also hoping that Jericho Cruz, who is more of a wingman, can be converted to play the position. 

UPHSD Altas vs ADMU Blue Eagles

• This should be the debut of new head coach Aric del Rosario for the Altas. It'll be interesting to see if he has done anything drastic to their playing style. 
• The Altas should have some added size in foreign center Femi Babayemi and former Junior Alta Eugene Canuza. Would those two be enough to stop the giants on Ateneo, especially Greg Slaughter? 
• I wasn't a big fan of the starting five Ateneo put out versus Letran - Slaughter, Golla, Sumalinog, Ravena, Tiongson. The offense took a while to get going, and it seems like Sumalinog still has not rediscovered his shot. Salva presumably was nursing a minor injury, logging just nine minutes, which is why he didn't start. 
• One thing Letran did that I presume the Altas will try, is to put a big guy with range on Slaughter, and then run plays on offense to free him up on the perimeter, daring Slaughter to chase him out to the arc. The Knights tried that with Junjun Alas, but he was unable to make Ateneo pay for leaving him open, missing all three of his triples. 
• I thought it was clever of acting head coach Sandy A. to pair Buenafe up in the second unit with JP Erram and Tonino Gonzaga. Though the former Finals MVP has lost a lot of weight, he's still not quite in peak condition, but that's negated by Erram and Gonzaga, who are two athletic help defenders who can compensate for Buenafe losing his man.

 JRU Heavy Bombers vs EAC Generals

• JRU relies on generating turnovers for turnover points for a large chunk of their offense. They got the tables turned on them in their debut against NU, as the Bulldogs forced 23 errors and scored 23 points off them. Meanwhile, the Bombers managed to force 16 turnovers, but could only score four points ,as the superior athleticism and speed of the Bulldogs allowed them to catch up and flash some impressive transition defense. 
• While everyone on JRU had a bad outing, of note is the poor performance of John Villarias. The sophomore put up some nice numbers in his rookie year (10.7 points, 4.5 rebs, 2.6 asts, 1.2 stls) but he was a miserable 1-for-8 from the field for just two points in his 19 minutes of play. 
• The EAC Generals might be even more of a perimeter-oriented team than last season, after losing their best post player, Claude Cubo (11.7 points, 7.3 rebounds), to graduation. Their remaining prospects at center don't exactly inspire confidence though. Rafael Sanchez (11.4 mins, 1.5 points, 2.4 rebs in NCAA S87) is the veteran, and they have two rookies in Jeff Mallari and Dominador Pillas, but their best bet might be foreign center Happi Noube, who had averages of 8.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in last year's FilOil tourney. 
• While rosters are still in flux, it's worth noting that EAC did not list two of their main contributors from last season's campaign, Milan Vargas (8.5 points, 4.2 rebs) and Fil-Am Joshua Torralba (10.4 points, 3.6 rebs). Even without them though, they still have the likes of Jan Jamon (13.7 points, led the team in scoring in the NCAA), Remy Morada (5.1 points) and Franz Chiong (4.5 points), shooters will who will benefit from more touches.

SBC Red Lions vs UST Growling Tigers 

• After conceding a 0-6 start to DLSU in their season opener, San Beda bounced right back scoring the first quarter's last 13 points, on route to a big lead, 49-34, headed into the final quarter. But they eased up on the gas a bit too early, allowing the Archers to claw back in the dying minutes, slicing the deficit to four, 67-63 with 16 seconds remaining. 
• The team's surprise package was undersized scorer Ryusei Koga, who poured in eight points in 10 minutes on 4-of-7 shooting. He also chipped in three boards and two assists in limited minutes and so it'd be interesting to see if he can pull off similar production again. 
• The Red Lions struggled on the perimeter, making just 4-of-11 from beyond the arc. Take away Anjo Caram's two late triples, and the rest of the team was a mere 2-of-9, with Julius Armon posting a 1-for-5 clip.
• The Tigers return a mostly intact line-up, but their one loss is a big one, power forward Chris Camus (7.27 points, 7.67 rebs, 1.47 asts, 1.13 stls, 1.53 blks), who was their best defender last season. Guys like Melo Afuang and Karim Abdul will have to do a better job on the boards to compensate for his absence. 
• The return of Clark Bautista and Aljon Mariano will definitely help a bench unit that averaged just 19.27 points last UAAP season. If Louie Vigil and Kim Lo continue to make strides as well, then UST will be a tougher team to tangle with.

PCCL 2011 - Metro Manila Knockout Games Primer

November 8:

2pm: NAASCU Champion University of Manila Hawks versus ISAA Champion Technological Institute of the Philippines Engineers

UM Hawks	TIP Engineers
#4 Rivera, Andrew	#18 Acebo, Leonard Ray
#5 Torres, Eugene	#11 Banez, Jaime Jr.
#6 Bonleon, Alvin Andrew	#9 Dela Punta, Darwin
#7 Ruiz, Clemente	#5 Espanola, Ramon Angelo
#8 Garcia, Jose Luis	#12 Gonzales, Runel
#9 Flores, Amante	#16 Martinez, Vergel
#10 Ancheta, Jerry	#6 Medina, Kimley
#11 Viernes, Jeff Alvin	#15 Morillo, Jefferson
#12 Manuel, Jay-Ar	#17 Namocatcat, Jemuel
#14 Gonzales, Jayson	#13 Osicos, Khenn
#15 Guti-Ay, Salvador	#5 Paulo, Sean Francis
#16 Eneria, Michael	#14 Perez, Paulo
#17 Ibay, Jayson	#7 Uy, Alistine
#18 Castro, Sherwin	#4 Viernes, Mark Jesus
#19 Serrano, Jerald
Head Coach: Ferdinand Castillo	Head Coach: Bong Arroyo

4pm: NCAA Fifth Placer Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates versus UAAP Fifth Placer National University Bulldogs

LPU Pirates	NU Bulldogs
#14 Anacta, Aaron	#4 Alolino, Gelo
#4 Azores, Arwin	#13 Celda, Reden
#9 Cayabyab, Chris	#8 Celiz, Robby
#6 Francisco, Mark	#12 Eman, Spencer
#12 Guevarra, Floricel	#7 Ignacio, Jul-Ashri
#17 Ko, Shane	#5 Javillonar, Jeoffrey
#7 Lacap, Jan	#17 Khobuntin, Glenn
#13 Laude, Vence	#11 Labing-isa, Cedrick
#10 Lesmoras, Tirso	#10 Magat, Marion
#11 Mallari, Gian	#14 Mbe, Emmanuel
#18 Napiza, Onofre	#16 Neypes, Kyle
#5 Ong, Jerome	#15 Parks, Bobby Ray
#16 Pascual, Faustine	#19 Rono, Robin
	#9 Singh, Ajeet
	#6 Terso, Joseph
	#18 Villamor, Denice
Head Coach: Bonnie Tan	Head Coach: Eric Altamirano

November 9:

2pm: MNCAA Champion Centro Escolar University Scorpions versus UCLAAI Champion St. Francis of Assisi Doves

CEU Scorpions	St. Francis of Assisi Doves
Magbitang, John Paul	#4 Guevarra, Ronoel
Paralo, Mark Jerwin	#5 Castro, Lawrence Paolo
Chua, Kim Dernard	#6 Santiago, Paul Jordan
Akpa, Thankgod	#7 Paday, Joeseph
Gallardo, Ryan	#8 Parcero, Lance Kervin
Garcia, Axl Jeff	#10 Melano, Jayson
Navarro, Jan Sebastian	#11 Castanos, Jonathan
Anain, Aldreen Lorenz	#14 Soriano, Jorel
Tuazon, Lester John	#15 Martin, Francis
Babad, Leymund	#17 Rote, Denver
Lobaton, Leeward	#19 Milo, Joseph
Bernardo, John Andrew	#20 Pranillos, Seron
Banua, Carmelito	#21 Monzon, Ephraim
	#22 Sabad, John Paul
Head Coach: Mon Jose	Head Coach: Gabby Velasco

4pm: UAAP Sixth Placer De La Salle University Green Archers versus NCAA Sixth Placer Mapua Institute of Technology Cardinals

DLSU Green Archers	MIT Cardinals
#6 Torres, Norbert	#7 Abad, Michael
#7 Van Opstal, Arnold	#8 Banal, Jonathan
#8 Mendoza, Jovet	#9 Nimes, Josan
#9 Sara, Roldan	#10 Stevens, Andretti
#10 Webb, Joshua	#11 Taha, Yousef
#11 Reyes, Martin	#12 Magsigay, Darel
#12 Revilla, LA	#15 Parala, Mike
#15 Gotladera, Ponso	#16 Chien, Jumiel
#16 Marata, Joseph	#17 Ighalo, Kenneth
#17 Vosotros, Almond	#18 Cantos, Jeson
#18 Paredes, Papot
#21 Dela Paz, Luigi
#22 Tampus, Jarelan
Head Coach: Tyrone Bautista	Head Coach: Chito Victolero

The winners of each game will play the other same day winner on November 10 with the November 8 teams facing off at 2pm, and the November 9 squads at 4pm. The winners there will move on to Sweet 16 spots in the Luzon-Metro Manila bracket.

One Day Later: EAC vs JRU, LPU vs CSB

JRU 90 - EAC 77
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Big man John Lopez padded the stat sheet to the tune of 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal, with 13 of those points coming in the second half, when the Heavy Bombers pulled away.

By the Numbers :

• The big story of course is the turnover points category, as JRU turned up the intensity of their press to come back from a 10-point deficit. In the first half, they had 14 points from 10 EAC miscues, numbers that bloated to 22, off 13 turnovers in the latter part of the game.
• EAC tried to compensate by getting to the line, off the physical JRU defense. They shot 20 of 28 from the stripe, above and beyond JRU's 9 of 16 clip, but it still wasn't enough.
• The Bombers matched a season-high with 22 assists in the game.

The Other Names : 

• Milan Vargas notched his season-high in the loss, with 20 points on 6 of 9 shooting, 8 of 10 from the stripe. He also finished with four assists to four turnovers. 
• JRU's shooters were on the mark today, as they have been for the latter part of the season. John Villarias, Nate Matute and Raycon Kabigting were a combined 5 of 10 from downtown. The team as a whole shot 18.25 percent in round one, a figure that has crept up to 31.1 percent since.

LPU 94 - CSB 89
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Floricel Guevarra scored a season-high 27 points in exactly 27 minutes off the bench, while also adding eight rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block in the process. Guevarra took up the scoring cudgels from an ice-cold Chris Cayabyab and delivered, with 16 points in the last 15 minutes of the game.

By the Numbers :

• From the opening tip, the Pirates resolved to be the more aggressive team, attacking the rim to get to the line early and often. They finished with a 52 to 31 advantage in foul shots, a disparity that became more pronounced when you factor in that Lyceum made 73 percent or 38 of those freebies, while CSB converted only 18 or 58 percent. 
• Despite said edge, the game was still back and forth from start to finish, with 15 deadlocks and 17 lead changes. The biggest lead of the game was just six, held twice by Lyceum at the start of the fourth and overtime.

The Other Names :

• Both Michael Pate and Carlo Lastimosa turned in flawed performances, missing out on opportunities to win the game. The two were a combined 1 for 12 from outside the arc, and the Pirates were well aware of it, giving up the outside shot, especially to Pate, numerous times. Lastimosa also managed just splits at the foul line in the fourth, and in OT. Two made shots at the former could have put the game away, as it would have formed a two-shot advantage, while the latter would have made the deficit just two points instead of three. 
• Jan Tan managed a 12-12 performance, but was limited to only 24 minutes due to a combination of foul trouble, and a desire by head coach Richard Del Rosario to match up with the tiny Pirates. 

NCAA Picking Record: 64-23-3

NCAA S87: LPU vs CSB

History Lesson:
Playing without a flu-stricken Carlo Lastimosa, the short-handed CSB Blazers were ambushed by guest team Lyceum, in their NCAA debut. Up 38-30 at the half, Ian dela Paz and Mark Romero pulled CSB to within two out of the break, but Chris Cayabyab stymied that rally and then Allan Santos took over in the fourth quarter with 13 of his 19 points, handing the Pirates their first victory, 75-63. (Recap here) 

What's at Stake:

• Both these squads are currently at 6-11. A win ties the victor with the 7-11 MIT Cardinals for fifth, which would allow the head coach to say, "Hey, we finished a slot out of the Final Four. We can build on this!" 

LPU Stat to Watch : Lyceum's schedule gave them San Beda and San Sebastian consecutively, which led to predictably horrible results, as the Pirates were held to just 67.5 points and 32.68 percent shooting. That stands in direct contrast to Benilde's defense, which concedes 77.94 points and 41.88 percent from the field, so the Pirates ought to be able to score on the Blazers.
LPU Player to Watch : Chris Cayabyab had a superb debut against CSB, with his best shooting game of the season, 20 points on 7 of 11 shooting. He'll look to reprise that in the final game of the season after getting held to just seven points, 3 of 17, against San Sebastian.

CSB Stat to Watch : As a revamped team, playing without their best player, the season opener of the Blazers had them turning the ball over 26 times, as they clearly hadn't gotten used to playing with one another. They've normed 16.81 mistakes since then, although they notched 25 against EAC in their last outing.
CSB Player to Watch : Sitting out the first game, Carlo Lastimosa was unable to engage Chris Cayabyab in a scoring duel, and though his numbers are down from his rookie of the year season last year, Lastimosa is still an explosive threat, especially if Jonathan Grey won't play again.

Prediction: LPU Pirates

One Day Later: AU vs UPHSD, SSCR vs LPU

UPHSD 77 - AU 60
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Justine Alano, the Altas' undersized center, has quietly been putting up solid numbers all season despite the lack of height. He fittingly capped off his season with a 16 point, six rebound, two block performance.

By the Numbers :

• The Altas were never a run and gun team, but they ambushed Arellano with a transition attack that earned them 21 points yesterday, a huge improvement from their 7.6 average. The Chiefs on the other hand, had just five in that category. 
• Arellano took nearly as many three's as two point shots, 27 to 30. They weren't particularly good at hitting either, converting just nine treys, and 12 two-pointers. They finished 21 of 57 from the field, for 37 percent. Perpetual Help meanwhile, shot 45 percent. 
• Neither side turned the ball over a lot. Arellano committed 12, while Perpetual made 11. The Altas were better at taking advantage of those miscues though, getting 17 points off them, compared to just two by the Chiefs. 

The Other Names :

• This was probably not the way Arellano's graduating players expected to go out. Andrian Celada, Gerald Lapuz and Ronnel Delo Rsario all started, but didn't play a minute of the second half. The trio combined for just five points, eight rebounds, and two assists, in 32 minutes. 
• Harold Sumera and Christopher Sison wrapped up their NCAA careers, but neither were particularly special in this game. Sumera tallied six points, two rebounds and two blocks, while Sison finished with two boards and an assist.

Boxed in - Calvin Abueva and Ian Sangalang teamed up to oust the Pirates (pic source)

SSCR 80 - LPU 68
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Calvin Abueva turned around his 1 for 12 performance versus Letran by making 8 of his 13 shots for a game-high 18 points. He also added 12 rebounds, an assist and a block in 30 minutes of play.

By the Numbers :

• The Stags finished with an overwhelming advantage in terms of shooting, making more 54 percent of their shots (27 of 50), while allowing Lyceum to shoot just 29 percent (23 of 80). 
• San Sebastian left themselves vulnerable by committing 27 turnovers, giving Lyceum 23 free points. The Pirates made just 14 errors, leading to 11 turnover points for the Stags. 
• Lyceum missed more shots, naturally giving San Sebastian a huge edge in rebounding, 52 to 40. However, the Pirates still managed to haul down more offensive boards, 18 to 7. It's just that they couldn't convert on those shots, as both teams finished with six second chance points.

The Other Names :

• Once again Onofre Napia and Mark Francisco did the bulk of the damage for the Pirates, combining for 23 points and 14 rebounds. Lyceum's usual threats, Chris Cayabyab and Floricel Guevarra, were just 5 of 30 from the field for 13 points.
• Ian Sangalang dominated the interior to the tune of 15 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. 
• Players not named Ian, Calvin or Ronald combined to go 10 of 14 from the field for the Stags for 21 points. 

NCAA Picking Record: 61-22-3

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: LPU vs SBC

History Lesson:
Down a man to start the game with point guard Shane Ko out with a wrist injury, the Pirates barely held on, as the Red Lions ran rampant, getting out and running in the face of the LPU zone, amassing 15 fastbreak points and 24 turnover points. Triples, mostly from reserve Dexter Zamora, allowed Lyceum to prevent things from escalating into a full-on rout, they shot 11 of 21 from downtown, but in the end, they still lost by 20, 89-69. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• The 13-2 San Beda Red Lions will look to keep winning in order to stay ahead of the idle 12-3 Letran Knights in the battle for the second seed and the twice-to-beat advantage that comes with it. 
• With the 7-10 Mapua Cardinals falling in an upset to Arellano, the 6-9 Lyceum Pirates still have a an outside shot at the last Final Four berth, but they'll need to sweep their remaining games to make it happen. Toppling the Red Lions would go along way to helping them out. 

LPU Stat to Watch : Lyceum's first round encounter versus San Beda was one of the four times this season the Red Lions were unable to get to the line more than the other team, as the Pirates drew three more attempts than their opponents, 20 to 17. If the smaller Pirates get into attack mode, draw fouls from the bigger frontcourt players sending them to the bench, and prevent them from getting up in transition, they may have a slight chance of pulling off an upset.
LPU Player to Watch : Shane Ko's averages of 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists are not out of this world, but he's a better ball handler and is less likely to panic when the pressure defense comes. What's clear is that they cannot notch 28 turnovers again, and Ko can definitely help keep that number down.

SBC Stat to Watch : The Red Lions took full advantage of the lack of the Lyceum starting point guard, forcing them into a San Beda record for the season, 28 turnovers. Along with fastbreak points, those are two areas head coach Frankie Lim will likely concentrate on, to allow the Lions to get easy scores before Lyceum's zone sets up.
SBC Player to Watch : Dave Marcelo has a nice two-game double-digit scoring streak going on, and the common thread between Arellano, CSB and Lyceum is that they lack the combination of height and strength to stop Marcelo and company from rampaging through the paint. Thus, it looks like Marcelo will be in for another big game when these two sides play.

Prediction: SBC Red Lions

One Day Later: LPU vs EAC, JRU vs CSB

LPU 77 - EAC 73
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : With Arwin Azores stuck in a hospital, Mark Francisco got the nod to start, and the unheralded forward made the most of the opportunity, scoring 19 points on 8 of 11 shooting, to go with 18 rebounds and three blocks. Francisco is barely 6'3" in shoes, but he sure stood tall (*groan*) in this game. 

The Numbers :

• Pirates head coach Bonnie Tan said that he decided to run in this game given their lack of players. Given their height disadvantage versus almost all the other teams (save for perhaps, CSB and Perpetual Help), I'm surprised they never thought of doing this earlier. Lyceum finished with season-highs in fastbreak points (25) and turnover points (26) as a result. 
• Lyceum finished with just a single three-pointer for the second straight game, going 1 of 13 from beyond the arc. This is from the team that has hit the most triples in a game this season (12) and the only squad aside from Perpetual with multiple double-digit three-pointer games. 
• EAC topped their previously set season-high for assists by getting one more dime than the 22 they tallied in the season opener. The x-factor? Shooter Jan Jamon somehow wound up with a career-high eight dimes. His previous high was four versus San Beda in their round two blowout.
• In the last 3:36 of the game, LPU went on a decisive 16-5 run to come out on top. They had lacked that ability to put away teams over their four-game losing streak.
• Joshua Torralba returned from a groin injury that kept him out of three games, but he was far from effective, scoring just four points on 2 of 10 shooting, though he also added two rebounds and three assists.

The Other Names :

• Claude Cubo scored a career-high 29 points on 12 of 19 shooting, to go with a 5 of 6 stint at the freethrow line, nine rebounds and a block. 
• Jolas Paguia also had a productive outing, with 10 points in 27 minutes, two triples, seven boards, two assists, a steal and a whopping four blocks. 
• Shane Ko was steady as usual for the Pirates, scoring 11 on 5 of 8 shooting, but more importantly contributing five rebounds and a team-high five assists for Lyceum.

JRU 78 - CSB 63
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : I've never understood why JRU head coach Vergel Meneses messes around with John Montemayor and Ralph Monserat when he has Jeckster Apinan sitting on his bench. Well Apinan continues to put up some impressive sixth-man stats, leading all scorers in this match with 17 points (7/10 shooting), while also being the only player on both sides to get double-digit rebounds, with 10, five on the offensive end.

The Numbers :

• While the JRU pounce-on-turnover-and-score sequences were oftentimes more impressive looking and packed more punch, a peek at the stats actually shows that not only did both sides commit 22 turnovers, but CSB actually edged forward in the turnover points category by a point, 24-23.
• Where JRU actually made in-roads was in transition, usually via outlet pass to a streaking Heavy Bomber for an easy lay-in. In that regard, JRU had the advantage, scoring 15 fast break points to eight by CSB.
• St. Benilde went with a zone the entire game, feeling that they could not match-up with the JRU bigs. But aside from the aforementioned turnover and fast break points scenarios which allowed JRU to score before the zone was set up, the Heavy Bombers also dropped 7 of 21 triples. 
• Another side effect of the zone was in fact, the big men having their way against the St. Benilde bigs. JRU got a 40 to 23 rebounding advantage, 17 to 6 on the offensive glass. Apinan's 10 rebounds and John Lopez's nine boards were dominant, especially in contrast to the fact that CSB's best rebounder had just four boards, while big men Jan Tan, Tim McCoy, Ian Dela Paz and Alison Carlos combined for...seven rebounds all in all.
• This was the first time all season CSB gave up 50 percent shooting, as all of JRU's easy scoring trips helped bloat their percentages.

The Other Names :

• The departure of Lastimosa did give Jonathan Grey and Paolo Taha a bump in minutes, to 27 and 28, respectively, but the biggest beneficiary turned out to be the forgotten homegrown rookie Michael Pate. Pate had appeared in just six other games prior to his start in this encounter, scoring a grand total of 10 points, but he was able to exceed that in just 22 minutes today, scoring 13 on 4 of 6 shooting.
• John Lopez also padded the stat sheet, aside from the aforementioned nine boards. The big man finished with nine points, three assists and two steals, also showing up his CSB counterparts.

NCAA Picking Record: 52-19-1

NCAA S87: LPU vs EAC

History Lesson:
A split at the line with a little under two minutes by Vence Laude had the Pirates threatening to pull off another come from behind win, 68-65, but on the next possession, a gambling Allan Santos chose to help double Milan Vargas, and EAC's playmaker issued a pass to a wide-open Jolas Paguia who calmly sank a huge triple, that put the lead out of reach for Lyceum, handing the Generals a 73-67 win. That allowed the Generals to match their Season 86 win total after just three games. (Recap here)

 What's at Stake: 

• Neither of these two teams are mathematically out of the playoff hunt yet, sticking within striking distance of the 6-7 Mapua Cardinals. But the 5-8 Lyceum Pirates and the 4-9 EAC Generals will need to string together a series of wins, and if they can knock down one of the other teams threatening to get number four, so much the better.

LPU Stat to Watch : After beating JRU in their first assignment of the second round, the Pirates have spiraled downward on a four-game losing streak. Scoring is down big for this squad, going from an average of 75.33 points in the first round to just 70.8 in their past five games. They're simply not converting as well as they used to, dropping from a 39.89 field goal percentage to 34.9 percent. Given that EAC is not exactly known as a defensive club, this could be Pirates' time to break through.  
LPU Player to Watch : Chris Cayabyab has only notched multiple triples in the second round once, a four-trey game versus the Perpetual Help Altas, as opponents have figured out that limiting Cayabyab has a huge impact on this team's offense. The first time they played EAC though, Cayabyab was a horrible 0 for 10 from beyond the arc, so if the Generals can defend him the same way, this could be a long day for the sniper.

EAC Stat to Watch : The Generals have the worst assist to turnover ration in the league, a roughly 4 to 7 clip that has them giving up the most fastbreak attempts in the league (10.08) and the third-most turnover points (16.15). Luckily for them though, the Pirates are almost as bad as they are, surrendering 8.64 fastbreak attempts and are the worst in the league when it comes to allowing opponents to score turnover points, with 19.71 points being given up. If this becomes an up and down sort of game, the Pirates may come out on the losing end.
EAC Player to Watch : With so many players going in and out of EAC's sickbay, Jan Jamon has been the one constant, and as a result, is now tied with Joshua Torralba as the team's best scorer with a 12.8 average. Because we still don't know if Torralba will play or not, Jamon has to be ready to pick up the scoring slack, and build upon an 11-12 performance versus Perpetual Help.


Prediction: EAC Generals

One Day Later: AU vs LPU, MIT vs SSCR

At the line - Arellano keeps their slim playoff shots alive (pic source)

AU 89 - LPU 77
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Andrian Celada showed off the form that made him a Mythical Five selection last season, scoring 29 points on efficient 8 of 12 shooting from the field, 7 of 9 from the free throw line. Given the small nature of his opponents, Celada was also able to wreck havoc defensively, scoring two steals and two blocks.

AU Positives :

• The Chiefs kept chucking up three's, and they kept going in when they needed them the most, sinking 11 of 33 from beyond the arc to keep the Pirates out of the game. Most impressive was Celada's 6 for 8 clip, as all the rest of the players made just one of their numerous attempts each.
• Coming into this game, the Chiefs averaged 17.32 turnovers, but committed a season-low eight against the Pirates. They also came up with a season-high 11 steals, forcing 22 turnovers and scoring a whopping 32 turnover points from those mistakes, another best mark for the year.

AU Negatives :

• Foul trouble nearly hampered the Chiefs, as Vergel Zulueta and Mark Doligon both fouled out, with Gerald Lapuz and Ralph Salcedo candidates to graduate as well with four fouls each. Luckily, the Pirates were unable to press their advantage.

LPU Positives :

• It seems like a make it a point to mention the small size of the Pirates each game, but they still manage to dominate the boards, getting a 62-29 rebounding advantage, even though the Chiefs barely zoned in this game. Lyceum also tripled Arellano's offensive rebounds, getting 27 to just 9 by their opponents.  This strong interior play was highlighted by starting center Onofre Napiza, who turned in an 18-16 performance in 30 minutes of play.
• Bench scoring played a huge role in this game again as Shane Ko and Chris Cayabyab scored just 16 points. In their absence, Floricel Guevarra and Vence Laude filled in the void, with 18 points and 16 points respectively.

LPU Negatives :

• For all those offensive rebounds, Lyceum was only able to lead the second-chance points category by a slim margin, 10 to 7, being unable to convert on all those extra possessions.
• Lyceum entered this game as the best three-point shooting team, only to see themselves suffocated, and held to 1 of 12 shooting from beyond the arc. That's their second worst performance from outside, after a 1 for 22 game against EAC in round one.

Still standing - another last-second win propels SSCR to 15-0 (pic source)

SSCR 72 - MIT 69
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Calvin Abueva, we meet again. "The Beast" dominated with 26 points and 16 rebounds, but his biggest contributions were his two triples, his only shots from beyond the arc that night as they kept San Sebastian's heads above water.

MIT Positives :

• Josaaaaaaaan Nimes! Nimes made-up for not scoring 20 points in their last game by exploding for 31, 21 points in the third quarter alone. He was also efficient in the way he scored, going 4 for 7 from outside, 6 of 9 from inside the arc, and 7 of 9 from the line. The problem? After being sat down to catch a breather at the end of the third, the MIT coaching staff then forgot about him, keeping him seated too long despite the close nature of the game. 

MIT Negatives :

• Mapua had opportunities to win this game, but Allan Mangahas wasn't aware enough of the time, forcing up a heave (that admittedly came this close to falling in, if you take away the bounce), and then on the last play, Nimes opting not to take the shot, passing the ball to an unprepared Yousef Taha. We thought the Cardinals had left their fourth-quarter woes behind with their improved second round play, but apparently, it still pops up every now and then.
• Outside of Nimes, Mapua saw some poor performances from their other players. Taha was 4 of 13 from the field and 2 of 11 from the line. The point guards Jonathan Banal and Allan Mangahas scored just seven points on 3 of 14 shooting. Save for Taha, no other big was active on the boards. While Nimes could probably carry the squad against lower-tier teams, they can't rely on him solely if they want to topple one of the teams ahead of them in the standings.

SSCR Positives :

• The Stags showed composure under fire again for the second straight close game, Ian Sangalang coming up with the big steal off Mark Sarangay, and then Ronald Pascual nailing two charities, after a big triple by Calvin Abueva a few plays earlier. That's the sort of late-game resolve they can bank on when they play Letran and San Beda down the line as their regular season schedule hits the twilight phase. 

SSCR Negatives :

• Sangalang was once again kept in check, this time finishing with just 11 points and seven rebounds, though as mentioned, he came up with the big steal late. With defenses keying in on the more "flamboyant" members of the Big Three, Sangalang ought to demand the ball more from double-teams, using his height and speed to draw mismatches, especially if the opposing team is in a zone, as he can hit that short-range jumper from the zone's gaps. 

NCAA Picking Record: 51-18-1

NCAA S87: AU vs LPU

History Lesson:
In a "probationary member" versus "guest team" battle, the Lyceum Pirates got out ahead early to a 22-13 lead, but a persistent Arellano team kept launch comeback after comeback, at one point in the third quarter, getting to within a point, 47-46, after an 8-0 Chiefs blitz. That was as close as they would get though, as the Pirates banked on firepower off the bench from Floricel Guevarra and Gian Mallari to break the zone and keep the lead all the way to the final buzzer, 84-74. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• At 4-10, the Arellano Chiefs are all but out of it, meaning they'll be going into this game with a spoiler's mentality, looking to take down other teams straddling the line between "having a chance" and "having no chance." 
• The slipping Lyceum Pirates used to have the number four seed locked up, until suspensions, both internal and by the league, sent them spiraling downwards. At 5-8, they still have a chance at getting back to where they were, but it's an uphill climb for this team.

AU Stat to Watch : Since the latter part of the first round, the Chiefs have gone to great lengths to solve their bench scoring woes, shuffling their personnel around and giving more minutes to guys like Mark Doligon and Ronnel Del Rosario. As a result, they've gone from a league-worst 15.11 bench points to 25.4 points from the reserves. However, head coach Leo Isaac still ought to consider giving more minutes to Chris Okpe to defend the paint, especially when you consider the lack of size of Lyceum.
AU Player to Watch : Vergel Zulueta came out on top in the scoring duel versus Chris Cayabyab, with 23 points to Cayabyab's 20, on some insane numbers: 9/10 from inside the arc, 10/12 from the line, five rebounds and five assists. After scoring just six markers versus JRU, expect Zulueta to look to bounce back.

LPU Stat to Watch : Lyceum used to be a decent shooting team, ranked in the middle at 39.63 percent after round one. But with all the upheaval this team has faced since then, plus the fact that teams have seen enough to scout this guest squad, the Pirates have gone all the way down to the bottom of the sea, just 34.11 percent shooting in round two, worst in the league. Over the length of the whole season, they're about third-worst, at 37.97 percent.
LPU Player to Watch : With Allan Santos reportedly out of Lyceum (and spotted at the Adamson game to boot, cheering on his old team!), it's up to Onofre Napiza to man the middle for the Pirates. Napiza came up with a 10-point, six rebound game in their last outing, helped by the Arellano zone, and so if the Chiefs keep on trotting out that defense, smart boxing out may lead to easy second-chance points.


Prediction: LPU Pirates

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

UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings: Week 8 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.

As the UAAP winds down, teams begin to shuffle all over the place as the Final Four picture starts to crystallize. There's a ton of movement in the NCAA as well, as squads continue to jockey too for the fourth seed. More importantly, the committee of one has saved the last two spots for two "special" teams who showed spectacular inability this past week in either defense or offense, as anyone who watched either of those games got to catch a bit of basketball history.

NCAA S74: UPHSD vs LPU

History Lesson:
Looking to win their first televised game in the NCAA, the Pirates survived an up and down affair that started on the downside, as Perpetual Help waxed hot early, 14-1. Lyceum was able to turn things around though, leading by as much as 85-71 in the final period. The host school wasn't through fighting though, cutting the lead down first to 88-81, and then to 91-87 with 1:13 left to play. That was as far as they would threaten, however, as Lyceum kept its cool and added two more points to seal the game at 93-87. The shooters' duel between Chris Cayabyab and Jett Vidal was a stalemate though, as both players totaled 17 markers. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• As the host school, the 2-10 Perpetual Help Altas are pretty much out of it at this point, but they sure wouldn't mind pulling off a few upsets and making life difficult for the teams ahead of them. 
• The Cardinals took advantage of suspensions and injuries to the Lyceum Pirates, dropping them to 5-6 and the fifth seed. That said, they immediately get an opportunity to bounce back and tie Mapua if they win this game. And they'll have their suspended players back to boot. 

UPHSD Stat to Watch : The Altas continue to rank dead last in terms of scoring, averaging just 64.17 points a game, just 60 in the second round. Lyceum surprisingly, is pretty adept at putting points on the board, norming 74.9 all tournament, 71 in the second round (including their no-show offense game versus Mapua). Unless the Pirates' dry spell extends to a second game, Perpetual will need to play defense if they want to stay in this game.
UPHSD Player to Watch : Jett Vidal had his best game from beyond the arc this season, scoring all 15 of his points from beyond the arc, on 50 percent shooting. If the Altas go for the shootout route, they'll need him to continue to wax hot, matching the production of say Chris Cayabyab or Floricel Guevarra.

LPU Stat to Watch : Despite being undermanned against a team of giants, the Pirates were able to keep in step with the Cardinals on the boards, getting 34 to the 39 of Mapua. Even better, they doubled Mapua's offensive rebound numbers, 16 to 8, and got a 10-2 advantage in second-chance points as a result. What more if they play an equally small Perpetual Help team?
LPU Player to Watch : Chris Cayabyab had his lowest scoring game of the NCAA season, finishing with just eight points on 1 of 12 shooting, as he was blanketed all game long by guys like Jumel Chien and Andretti Stevens. No doubt, he'll be looking to bounce back against the Altas, whom he dropped 17 on in the first round.

Prediction: LPU Pirates

One Day Later: EAC vs SBC, MIT vs LPU

The beatdown - EAC could not stop San Beda, even if their lives depended on it (pic source)

SBC 118 - EAC 64
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Most of Garvo Lanete's points came in the fourth quarter, when they were already up by a huge margin. Instead, I'm going with the two shooters that helped build the huge first quarter lead: Rome Dela Rosa and Mar Villahermosa, each of whom dropped nine points in the games' first 10 minutes, helping erect a 30-16 lead.



EAC Positives :

• You got beaten by 54. You deserve no positives.

EAC Negatives :

• 27 turnovers basically says it all, as 17 of those came from their top three scorers, Milan Vargas, Franz Chiong and Remy Morada.
• While I understand that EAC was down early on, the Generals panicked and immediately went the route of chucking up three's to try to get back in the game. Given how San Beda was constantly in the penalty early because of their in-your-face defense, the EAC ought to have kept attacking the rim. When they did get to the line though, they only converted 61 percent of their charities. 
• Related to that, EAC's disease of one-on-one play continued, as they got just 13 assists, six of which came from Morada. 
• If Joshua Torralba and Igee King continue to miss games, this team is sunk. As much as I've criticized Torralba for his individualistic style of play, this team misses his talent. King was a nice stabilizing ball handler who would be a huge upgrade over the 10 minutes the team gets from Roy Villegas.

SBC Positives :

• San Beda's huge massacre was helped by a 61 percent field goal percentage and 30 assists.
• A dominant 36 to 8 fourth quarter certainly made it easier for them to pad the score as the Generals essentially ran out of gas in the third period. 
• The Red Lions made 6 of 18 triples, after two games of poor outside shooting, a necessary stat given how opponents zone them in each and every game.

SBC Negatives :

• Because San Beda's rotation basically mixes in everyone on their roster (Pontejos and Koga made appearances as early as the second quarter, for example), they didn't really have any third-stringers to turn the ball over to in the final period. That said, was it really necessary to get the score to 50? 

Josan's the man - with Nimes at the helm, the Cardinals have surged (pic source)

MIT 80 - LPU 59
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Josan Nimes extended his streak of consecutive twenty-plus scoring games by dropping 20 on the Pirates. It was Nimes who actually set the tone for the Cardinals, dropping 12 in the first quarter to instantly demoralize Lyceum, giving them a huge mountain to climb.



MIT Positives :

• Mapua came out with a hot start, 29-14, and successfully defended it all the way, something they hadn't done with the exception of their first round meeting with EAC.
• For a change, the Cardinals used their inside-out game properly, getting 16 points and 10 rebounds from Yousef Taha, while at the same time, making 8 of their 19 triples. That's how they're supposed to play in each game.

MIT Negatives :

• Huge game for Mapua, as it finally moved them up in the standings to 4th place, after being as low as 10th in the first round. That said, it's an empty win, given how Lyceum had two suspended players, one ruled out because of sickness, and one playing with a flu. Had everyone been healthy for Lyceum and this could have been a different story.

LPU Positives :

• With Chris Cayabyab firing blanks and Floricel Guevarra suspended, the Pirates were lucky to find an alternative source of points in Vence Laude, who top-scored for them with 17 markers. 
• Despite having a huge size disadvantage, Lyceum managed to pluck down double the offensive rebounds of the Cardinals, 16 to 8, and as a result, got a 10-2 boost in second-chance points.

LPU Negatives :

• Amazingly, Lyceum got zero transition points and just three attempts. They could have sorely needed those scoring trips without the Mapua big men getting in their way.
• Allan Santos and Cayabyab were expected to lead the Lyceum charge, but they combined to shoot 4 of 23 from the field. Not exactly what you would want from your leaders.

NCAA Picking Record: 43-14-1

NCAA S87: MIT vs LPU

History Lesson:
The Lyceum Pirates came back late in this game, turning a 57-51 deficit into a 75-70 lead late as Chris Cayabyab was his usual clutch self. Jason Pascual tried to lead a counter-rally, drawing within two points on a triple of his own, 75-73 but that was all she wrote for the Cardinals, as this season's guest team was able to overturn a lead that was as high as 13 in the second period. Floricel Guevarra's 23 points outdueled Allan Mangahas' 21, as the shifty veteran point guard found himself inexplicably benched late in the game. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• Starting 0-4, the Mapua Cardinals have rallied to 5-6, with an eye to finally meeting some heavy preseason expectations by wrenching the fourth spot away from the upstart Lyceum Pirates. Even better would be a big, convincing win, as they've gotten by lately on skin of your teeth victories, and against some fairly pedestrian teams to boot (just a three-point win versus the Altas?)
• The 5-5 Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates have held on to the fourth spot in the standings for quite some time now, but this game against Mapua stands out as their first real defense of their position, and a loss would drop them out of the top four. Winning this game would not only help them keep their spot in the standings, it would also send out a message to the rest of the league that they are for real.

MIT Stat to Watch : Mapua has lost three games by three or less points, and has won three games by the same margin. Save for a few bounces of the ball, they could be 8-3 right now, or as low as 2-9, which says something about the tenuous status of the Cardinals right now. With Floricel Guevarra out of the Lyceum line-up, this is the perfect time for Mapua to exert some dominance and beat down on the undermanned team.
MIT Player to Watch : Part of the reason for Mapua's current 3-game streak has been the superb scoring of rookie Josan Nimes, who averaged 22.33 points on 60 percent shooting, five rebounds and 2.67 assists. If Kenneth Ighalo continues to be sidelined with an injury, Nimes might see some time guarding Cayabyab, which would be a great match to follow. 

LPU Stat to Watch : For all their grit, the Pirates play a bit out of control, ruining their offensive flow and giving opponents easy points. They average 22.8 turnovers a game, a league-high, and surrender 19.9 turnover points as a result. Luckily for them, Mapua barely brings any pressure, averaging the fewest forced turnovers, 15.91. With Guevarra out, the Pirates cannot afford to give up easy points as they may not be able to score enough to make up the difference.
LPU Player to Watch : With Floricel Guevarra suspended due to being ejected for accumulating two flagrant fouls in their last game, a lot of the scoring will have to come from Chris Cayabyab, who should expect to be a marked man from the opening tip. He's been averaging 23 points, three triples on 37.5 percent downtown shooting, 6.67 rebounds and 1.67 assists since his only single-digit scoring output game of the season versus San Sebastian, so the question becomes, will that be enough to carry his team to a win?

Prediction: MIT Cardinals

UAAP/NCAA Power Rankings: Week 7 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.

The middle of the rankings have changed dramatically, as in the UAAP, one team lands the number four spot and looks to solidify their hold on it as the post-season looms, while over in the NCAA, former cellar-dwellers begin to find new life in the second round, with an eye to toppling Lyceum from the fourth seed. Also in there, a shift in the top spot again!