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

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

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: 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

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 

One Day Later: SBC vs CSB, MIT vs AU

A monstrous outing by Marcelo keys in the SBC win (pic source)

SBC 84 - CSB 75
Recap - - -  Preview

Player of the Game : Dave Marcelo could not be stopped by the "bigs" of CSB, dropping 18 and 11 on the likes of Jan Tan and Ian Dela Paz. On the other end, Marcelo also tallied two steals and four swats, as the man in the middle for San Beda could not be stopped.

By the Numbers :

• Simply put, the Red Lions plain shot better from the field, making 29 of 58 shots for 50 percent field goal shooting, compared to the 38 percent clip, 24 of 64, that the Blazers sported. 
• As a result of the lopsided shooting clips, San Beda got a 42-30 rebound advantage. Offensive rebounds though were nearly even, with Benilde even edging SBC, 15 to 14.
• San Beda also got more team plays, as seen in their 19 to 12 assist advantage.

The Other Names :

• Carlo Lastimosa notched 15 points in 19 minutes in his return to CSB, but once again, he could not lift his squad in the final minutes, this time on a technicality, a supposed NCAA "house rule" that prevents players from reentering the court for three minutes should he be made to sit and have a replacement shoot his freethrows. Because there was less than three minutes remaining when Lastimosa fell to the floor, he couldn't reenter the game, to the chagrin of coach Richard Del Rosario.
• Garvo Lanete went 8 of 17 for 25 points in this game to lead all scorers, with an additional six rebounds, two assists and two steals to his name.
• Jake Pascual played the point forward role to the hilt, accounting for seven of his team's 19 assists. He also had four points, seven rebounds, a steal and two blocks in yet another all-around performance.

40 minutes of Celada helped key in the upset win over MIT (pic source)

AU 73 - MIT 69
Recap - - -  Preview

Player of the Game :  Mark Doligon waxed hot from the field, scoring 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting, making all five of his two-point attempts, before fouling out. He typified the hot shooting of the Chiefs in today's outing.

By the Numbers :

• While the margin was not as bad as the San Beda - St. Benilde game, the Chiefs managed to shoot 51 percent from the field (29/57) compared to 43 percent by Mapua (24/56). That's the best shooting mark for the Chiefs all season long.
• Mapua managed to lose despite getting 14 more free throw attempts (making 10 more than Arellano) and tripling the amount of second chance points the Chiefs produced, 18 to 6, courtesy of a 22 to 5 offensive rebound advantage. 
• The Cardinals continue to shoot poorly from downtown, this time with a 2 for 13 clip from outside the arc. In the past three games, they're just 7 of 42 on three-pointers, or 17 percent. Arellano on the other hand, was 6 for 19, with five different players making triples.

The Other Names :

• Allan Mangahas did his best again to try to single-handedly carry his team, scoring 18 points, 13 in th ethird quarter, and pulling down 11 rebounds but it wasn't enough. 
• As mentioned, Andrian Celada played the entire game and turned in a game-high 21 points as a result. Mapua threw various defenders on him, ranging from Kenneth Ighalo, Andretti Stevens and Jumel Chien, but none were effective. In my opinion, they should have tried sticking Nimes onto him as they have similar builds and similar games.
• Yousef Taha had a miserable outing. On paper, 10 points and six rebounds is already pretty poor, considering he played a team-high 33 minutes and was up against smaller defenders, but he was just 2 for 8 from the field, with the remaining six points coming on a perfect stint at the line. Then he compounded matters by turning the ball over a team-high seven times as well. Clearly that's nothing like the dominant performance many figured he would have based on his preseason outings. 

NCAA Picking Record: 57-21-2

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.

One Day Later: JRU vs UPHSD, AU vs SBC

JRU 64 - UPHSD 57
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Rookie John Villarias continues to impress, this time sharing the top-scoring honors with captain Raycon Kabigting as both finished with 11 points. Villarias however, was able to hit a crucial three-pointer with a second left on the clock in the overtime period, shifting momentum onto the side of the Bombers. He also added eight rebounds, and a team-high five assists in just 26 minutes of play. 

The Numbers :

• It's a mystery to me why JRU seems to struggle versus Perpetual Help. The two sides combined to score just 18 points in the second quarter, giving us a 24-20 halftime score, numbers some teams put up in a quarter. 
• The biggest factor in JRU's four-game winning streak? It's been their ability to hit outside shots now, 6 of 20 from beyond the arc in this game. They shot just 19.13 percent in their first 12 games, a pretty pathetic figure, for an average of 2.67 triples per game. That's been jacked up to 36.41 percent during their win streak, doubling their triples to 6.25.
• Even with the overtime period, the Altas managed to set their second-lowest amount of field goals in a game this season with 18. They previously made just 14 versus Letran in the first round.

The Other Names :

• Jeckster Apinan didn't have the scoring in today's game, as he was just 3 of 4 from the field for seven points, but he provided the interior defense, pulling down 13 rebounds and swatting two shots.
• Scottie Thompson may be the one to watch in Perpetual Help's future. The rookie from Davao continues to excel for this squad, notching a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, while adding two assists, two steals and three blocks.

SBC 84 - AU 60
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Jake Pascual turned in another strong performance, destroying the Arellano frontline with 16 points on 8 of 10 shooting in 21 minutes. He also pulled down 10 rebounds, dished out six assists and made a block.

The Numbers :

• San Beda wanted to try playing a full-court defense to put pressure on their opponents, in preparation for Letran and San Sebastian. The results are...mixed. Though they tallied 18 fastbreak points and 16 turnover points, they only forced 14 turnovers on the Chiefs, while committing 24 miscues themselves. Arellano meanwhile finished with 10 fastbreak points and 15 turnover points, and could have had more if they had made a few more layups.
• Big surprise: Arellano went to the line more times than San Beda, 20 to 14. Of course, the Chiefs made just half of their charities, while the Red Lions missed just three freebies.
• The big number was still rebounding, as the Lions finished with a 54 to 25 edge, 14 to 7 on the offensive glass.

The Other Names :

• Why didn't Leo Isaac field in Gerald Lapuz?
• Reserve center Ralph Salcedo did the most damage for Arellano, playing 34 minutes and tallying 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and a block and a steal. 
• Garvo Lanete was on fire in this game, scoring 16 points in 18 minutes, including 11 in a brutal third quarter stretch that saw him hit all three of his triples.

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

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

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

One Day Later: UPHSD vs SSCR, SBC vs JRU

SSCR 77 - UPHSD 76
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : The Stags ran more half-court sets and screens to free up Ronald Pascual. The result? A 6 for 11 clip from beyond the arc, that coupled with a 9 for 10 stint at the foul line, resulting in a 27 point game for the Stags' sharpshooter.

UPHSD Positives :

• They came a bounce or two away from upsetting the top-ranked team. Big positive right there.
• The Altas took advantage of the 12 more turnovers of the Stags and got 18 turnover points from their 23 miscues. They also were edged by just a point in terms of fastbreak points, scoring six in the final period. 
• Long-range shooting kept Perpetual Help in this game, as they went 11 for 28 from the field, or 39 percent.

UPHSD Negatives :

• After getting 30+ free throw opportunities in their last two games, the Altas sank back to just 12, converting seven.

SSCR Positives :

• Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good.

SSCR Negatives :

• Head coach Topex Robinson tried slowing down the game to see if that would cure this squad's turnover illness. Sorry, try again. The Stags still committed 23 errors, with the top four scorers accounting for 19. 
• Ian Sangalang was shut down by the much smaller UPHSD defenders, holding him to just seven points, all scored in the third quarter, when the team went out of its way to allow him to score. 
• Getting just three second-chance points against a decidedly tinier team also has to irritate Coach Robinson.

JRU 76 - SBC 65
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Rookie John Villarias set the tone early on scoring seven of his 12 points in the second quarter, when the Heavy Bombers began to pull away. Villarias made two triples, hauled down eight rebounds, dished out four assists and made three swipes in an all-around performance by this guy.

SBC Positives :

• Turning the ball over just 19 times against a team that averaged 21.9 coming into this game is an accomplishment. Sort of. 

SBC Negatives :

• The Lanete punch was really uncalled for. The Caram flagrant foul is a by-product of FIBA rules that state you can't grab the uniform, fine, and the elbow that Jake Pascual threw could be called accidental, but you can't "mistakenly" punch someone near the groin. A clear manifestation of the Red Lions imploding awhile ago. 
• A season-low 12 assists shows just how out of sync this squad was awhile ago. A season-low five fastbreak attempts likewise says the same thing.

JRU Positives :

• JRU did everything right, getting less turnovers than San Beda, 18 to 19, and turning those mistakes into an 18 to 11 turnover point edge. They also matched the Red Lions' rebounds, 36-all, and shot better from downtown, seven triples made while shooting 37 percent versus four triples on 25 percent shooting. 
• The Heavy Bombers took the lead early and never let-up, as the game featured just two lead changes and a single deadlock, all happening in the first period.
• Led by John Lopez' 17 points, the Heavy Bombers got scoring from multiple sources, with four different JRU players scoring in double-figures.

JRU Negatives :

•  JRU got less free throws, despite being hacked and sent to the line in the last 30 seconds of the game, but that's nitpicking. The Bombers scored the decisive upset, so we'll give this to them.

NCAA Picking Record: 50-17-1

One Day Later: AU vs JRU, EAC vs UPHSD

JRU 79 - AU 69
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : I've always felt like Jeckster Apinan has been underused this season, so it's good to see him cut loose especially in a game like this. Apinan stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 15 points on 5 of 8 shooting, 10 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, two blocks, and just a single turnover. If he can keep this up, Apinan ought to see more minutes down the final stretch of the season.

AU Positives :

• Andrian Celada led his team with 19 points on 8 of 16 shooting, including a nice dunk in transition in the first quarter, when he exploded for 10 markers.
• Instead of falling to JRU's press, it was the Bombers who found themselves committing a ton of turnovers, 27 to be precise, allowing Arellano to exploit those mistakes to the tune of 25 points, more than a third of their production today. It must be noted though that a large chunk of those errors happened near the end of the game when things were safely out of reahc..

AU Negatives :

•  The Chiefs got to the line nine more times than JRU, 25 to 16, but converted just 16 charities. All those misses could have put Arellano in a different position, especially when they threatened early in the final period. 

JRU Positives :

• The Bombers got scoring from multiple sources, as five players finished with at least 10 points. That's the sort of balanced scoring they missed, as previous wins usually boiled down to a playe or two catching fire.
• JRU was simply on fire, finishing with a 58 percent clip from the field. Arellano on the other hand, was held to just 43 percent shooting, resulting in a 37-23 advantage by the Bombers on the boards.

JRU Negatives :

• JRU's point guards were terrible, with starter Alex Almario turning it over seven times, while reserve Philip Paniamogan gave it up half the time in his 10 minute stint. The only floor general who took care of the ball, Romnick Mendoza, played just six sminutes.

EAC 77 - UPHSD 71
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Franz Chiong went from starting point guard during the summer to after thought in the rotation once the NCAA proper began. Based on this game though, Chiong might just take that starting spot back, leading the Generals with 19 points on 6 of 12 shooting.

EAC Positives :

• Perseverance in the face of adversity saw the Generals keep calm when the Altas sliced their lead to just three points late in the final period. Without the benefit of a timeout, Milan Vargas attracted the Perpetual Help defenders, leaving Russell Yaya wide open at the baseline for a drop pass and an easy layup, to punctuate the win for EAC.
• Jolas Paguia flashed his amazing skillset once again with a 14-11 double-double, making four triples, and blocking two shots. 
• 58 rebounds is a season-high for this team, after getting 49 versus Lyceum in round one. Sure, Paguia hauled down 11 boards, but more importantly, the guards did their part as well, as Jan Jamon had the most with 12, while Milan Vargas added another 11.

EAC Negatives :

•  After Jett Vidal missed a triple with the score at 73-65 with a little over a minute left, Harold Arboleda grabbed the miss and got fouled, making both free throws with 1:08 remaining.  Scottie Thompson stole the inbounds and got an and one, making it 73-69 as he missed the charity. And had George Allen not pushed off, thus getting a whistle and giving possession to the Generals, Perpetual Help could have cut the lead down even further, maybe even getting the lead.

UPHSD Positives :

• The Altas got blown out in round one by this team, 71-58. Losing by just single digits is a big improvement, sort of. 

UPHSD Negatives :

• While the Altas committed only 10 turnovers, to the 19 of the Generals, Perpetual Help could only score two more turnover points, 14 to 12, despite having nine more opportunities. 
• Perpetual Help left a lot of points on the table, making just 16 of 32 free throws, the same number of conversions that EAC had on 24 attempts. The Altas also kept throwing up triples, looking for a quick way to regain the lead, especially in the third period, finishing 5 for 25 from beyond the arc, led by Jett Vidal's 3 of 13 stat. 
• After getting eight transition points in the first half, the Altas scored just five fastbreak points in the remaining three periods.

NCAA Picking Record: 49-16-1 

One Day Later: NU vs UST, DLSU vs FEU

NU 73 - UST 49
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Bobby Ray Parks ended his campaign for the MVP award with a 22 point, eight rebound, six assist, one steal, three block performance. I liked how he was really trying to get other guys involved, especially Mbe early on, with his passing, and of course, the way he got his 21st and 22nd points was mind-blowingly lucky, but...you know what, I'll save my MVP rant for another time. Until then, here's video of that crazy shot.

NU Positives :

• The Bulldogs concentrated on getting the UST bigs in foul trouble, knowing that there wasn't a whole lot behind Chris Camus and Paolo Pe. Camus was taken care of by Jarencio himself, benching him after Camus was slapped with a technical foul, and never reinserting him back into the game, either to rest a nagging injury, or as a disciplinary action. Pe then was dispatched in the third quarter, getting tagged with his fifth on an offensive foul. That opened things up for NU down low in the fourth.
• Playing with a whopping five players in sick bay, NU was able to get big contributions from seldom-used Robin Rono, some nice drives from Ajeet Singh, and hot shooting from Jeoffrey Javillonar and Cedrick Labing-isa. That's the sort of team play they'll need to move forward next season.

NU Negatives :

• NU's offense was still maddeningly inconsistent, as they scored just six points in the second quarter, all within the game's first six minutes. They got a whopping zero points from Parks in that period, as he and the rest of the team, settled for jumpers, instead of attacking the rim. 

UST Positives :

•  Kim Lo provided some hustle and bench spark, scoring seven, five points on seven free throw attempts, six boards, and three steals.

UST Negatives :

• UST actually won their season-opener versus this NU squad with very little production from Abdul, even before the big man fouled out in regulation. So why couldn't UST get going in this game? The Tigers lacked interior scoring to go with their perimeter game, getting a season-low 12 points in the paint on 6 of 14 attempts, both figures also season-lows. While they did not have Abdul for post moves, it also meant they got very little drives at the rim.
• Horrible games overall from players like Jeric Fortuna (eight points on 3 of 12 shooting, no free throws, one assist), Paolo Pe (three rebounds in 19 minutes), and Kevin Ferrer especially, as the rookie was unable to build off his big game versus FEU (1 point in 30 minutes, 0/8 from the field, three rebounds).

FEU 66 - DLSU 57
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Aldrech Ramos was dominant as usual, posting 18 points in 28 minutes, on 5 of 8 shooting, 2 of 3 from downtown. The big guy also hauled down 11 rebounds, eight on the offensive end, and made two steals, while doing a good job frustrating some of La Salle's big men.

DLSU Positives :

• Simon Atkins was able to close his collegiate career gracefully, scoring 16 points on 50 percent shooting, along with three rebounds and three assists. 
• Joshua Webb gets a half-mention for his 11 points in 19 minutes, providing a nice spark in the second quarter that got DLSU rolling. Unfortunately, his rejected dunk to close out the game prevents us from fully mentioning him in the plus-column.

DLSU Negatives :

• Save for Atkins, the La Salle guards were absent, even with Ping Exciminiano leaving the game in the first quarter. LA Revilla, Almond Vosotros, Sam Marata, Jarelan Tampus and Luigi Dela Paz accounted for a whopping four points on 3 of 16 shooting, despite the fact that Terrence Romeo and RR Garcia aren't exactly what one would call, top-notch defenders.
• The rebounding game of the big men wasn't exactly hot stuff either. For a change, Jovet Mendoza and La Salle's other exiting player, Maui Villanueva, flashed back to last season and combined for 11 boards. Meanwhile the big men reinforcements La Salle was so happy to finally see action, Arnold Van Opstal, Papot Paredes and Norbert Torres, grabbed only seven boards. In all, DLSU had just 35 rebounds, 11 on the offensive end, compared to 51 boards by FEU, 32 in the second half, 21 on their side of the court.

FEU Positives :

• It was good to see the other big men of FEU step up, led by Russel Escoto's 11 boards. Mark Bringas also contributed eight caroms, while both sides accounted for four blocks. That's the kind of rebounding FEU will need moving forward without their foreign big men. 
• Terrence Romeo actually had a pretty good game, a few bouts of selfishness aside. After a 1 of 6 line in the first half, Romeo went 4 of 9 in the fourth, scoring 10 of his team's 18, and finishing with seven rebounds and four dimes.

FEU Negatives :

• The Tamaraws were outshot (45.2 percent to 30.8), outrebounded (21 to 18), and out-assisted (9 to 4) in the first half, with only an 8 of 11 clip at the foul line keeping them in the game, 33-27. Luckily, a halftime "motivational speech" seemed to clear things up for the squad, allowing them to take control in the second half.

UAAP Picking Record: 42-14

One Day Later: UP vs UE, ADMU vs ADU

UE 68 - UP 54
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Biboy Enguio rode off into the sunset with his head high, as the graduating scroer top-scored in this game with 18 points, six rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Enguio was vital in helping secure win number one for UE when they played NU, scoring 19 late. This time he was the catalyst early, scoring nine in the first period.

UP Positives :

• Miggy Maniego, the 2005 UAAP Jrs. MVP, aptly finished his UAAP career by top-scoring for the Maroons with 14 points. 
• Mark Juruena played his best game of the season, scoring 12 points on 5 of 10 shooting, to go with seven rebounds. Juruena is another former UAAP Jrs. MVP, who sometimes shows flashes of his high school form but who struggles to be consistent. He'd be a nice piece for the Maroons moving forward if he could develop some more. The clock's ticking though, as it'll be his fourth year in Season 75.

UP Negatives :

• The Maroons managed just single-digit points in the second and fourth quarters, as UE continued to roll. Scoring once again was a problem, as their gunners, Mike Silungan, Mike Gamboa (another graduating player) and Jett Manuel combined for just 10 on 4 of 21 shooting. Coupled with no production from Paolo Romero and Alinko Mbah (two points combined), and it's a good thing Maniego stepped up or this would have been over much earlier. 

UE Positives :

• The Red Warriors made better work of their opponents' errors, turning UP's 25 turnovers into 22 points. While UE themselves committed 21 turnovers of their own, the Maroons could only score 12 points off of them, giving the red shirts a 10 point edge in that category. 
• Despite no big men, the Red Warriors put a nice block party, swatting nine shots in the contes,t their most this season.
• The long-term future of UE was on display in this game. Point guard Roi Sumang scored eight points, and added five rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Meanwhile, big man Chris Javier also finished with eight, but he also had seven boards.

UE Negatives :

• Unfortunately, the other two graduating Red Warriors, Paul Zamar and Lucas Tagarda, combined for just six points. It probably didn't matter though, as their team still notched the "W."

Falcons in flight - Adamson has finally ended the streak (pic source)

ADU 62 - ADMU 46
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Alex Nuyles was aggressive all-throughout the game, exploding for 21 points, 8 for 8 from the foul line, and making Kirk Long look mortal. He also added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal, proving to be too much for Ateneo to handle in this game.

ADMU Positives :

• Ateneo can console themselves with the fact that they're the overall number one seed and have the twice to beat advantage. That's about it. 

ADMU Negatives :

• The Eagles couldn't hit anything today, shooting 1 of 10 from downtown, same as game one versus Adamson, 31.48 percent from the field, a season-low, and 61.11 percent from the line, also a season-low. As a result, Ateneo scored in single-digits in a quarter for the first time all year, and it happened twice, just eight points in the first, and seven in the nightmare quarter.
• For good measure, Adamson also held the Eagles to season-lows in rebounds (the only time Ateneo got less than 40 boards), assists, and blocks.
• The Eagles got what they wanted, Adamson's big men in foul trouble. But once they Rodney Brondial and Austin Manyara were slapped with their fourth fouls, the Eagles did not press their advantage, taking too many outside shots and passing the ball around fruitlessly.

ADU Positives  :

• In the pivotal 23 to 9 third quarter, Adamson shot a whopping 7 of 13 from the field, 8 for 8 from the line, and scored 15 points off eight Ateneo turnovers. Meanwhile, the Eagles were a miserable 3 of 11 and earned just a split at the line.  
• By winning this game, the Falcons retained the Final Four format and with it, twice-to-beat, an incentive they could have lost, with possible two-way and three-way ties emerging in now irrelevant cases. 
• The Falcons were a whopping 19 of 19 from the foul line, after going 11 for 11 in the first round encounter. That right there is proof of how badly they wanted to beat Ateneo.

ADU Negatives :

• Though it seemed like the Falcons were making everything they were throwing up, they actually had a pretty below-par shooting night. They were just 3 of 16 from beyond the arc, with Lester Alvarez going 1 for 8, and 17 of 41 on two-pointers. Combined with their perfect free throw night and the invisible rim covering the Ateneo basket though, it didn't really matter.

UAAP Picking Record: 40-14

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

One Day Later: DLSU vs NU, FEU vs UST

One-man wrecking crew: Parks provided the offense while NU shut down DLSU (pic source)

 
NU 56 - DLSU 40
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Unburdened by the fouls that plagued him in their first encounter, Bobby Ray Parks smashed through the Archers pretty good, to the tune of 25 points (including a 10 of 12 freethrow clip), nine rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. 12 of his points came in the fourth quarter, when NU took control for good, combining with Emmanuel Mbe to put the La Salle in foul trouble early, and then hitting a clutch triple that knotted the game, turning control over to the Bulldogs.

DLSU Positives :

• Almond Vosotros turned in a 15 point first half performance on 5 of 8 shooting, single-handedly keeping the Green and White in the thick of things. After getting the short end of the minutes stick in the first four games, Vosotros has come up huge enough times to show whoever the head coach of La Salle next season that he ought to be considered as one of the prominent scoring options the team has.

DLSU Negatives :

• La Salle had no offense beyond Vosotros, shooting 2 for 20 from downtown, 16 for 65 from the field, and tallying just nine trips to the line.The Archers also notched 24 turnovers, matching their season worst. 
• The Archer big men looked downright horrible, missing layups, making bad passes, having the ball stolen immediately after the pass to the interior was made, and so on. 
• Scoring just 40 points in a must-win game has to be a slap in the face of DLSU faithful. The team seemed to lack any sort of urgency until late in the fourth when they panicked and began throwing up triple after triple.

NU Positives :

• NU did a good job of preventing the Archers from getting hustle points, limiting their transition, turnover and second-chance scoring. With all three avenues for easy points essentially kept in check, La Salle was forced into the halfcourt, where their execution was horrible. 
• Despite having just Emmanuel Mbe and Kyle Neypes up front, the Bulldogs were able to contend and limit the various big men La Salle was throwing out. Swarming, pesky double-teaming from the NU guards often did the trick, as the DLSU big men rarely got easy post-ups.

NU Negatives :

• With Joseph Terso nursing a broken arm, Gelo Alolino and Cedrick Labing-isa got the keys to the car, and despite four dimes from Alolino, the point guards often just puttered around, as the forwards did a much better job fighting the La Salle press. 
• The low scoring nature of the game hides the fact that outside of Parks and his 25 markers, this squad still struggles to put points on the board, especially as Mbe stewed with foul trouble. Kyle Neypes deserves a shout-out in this regard, as only Neypes took it aggressively against the DLSU interior, scoring all five of his points in the final quarter.

Monster in the middle - Karim Abdul brought UST to the Final Four (pic source)

UST 77 - FEU 73
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Hello Kevin Ferrer, so nice of you to reappear when your team really needed you. After a string of horrible shooting games, both from the field and the foul line, the Ferrer that rocked the season's first two games came back, tying his season-high of 19 points, to go with 12 rebounds, an assist, and a block. FEU's three-guard line-up always meant he was being covered by someone smaller (RR Garcia, great scorer, horrible defender), allowing him to simply shoot over his man, and his fourth quarter triple was the nail in the Tamaraws' coffin.

FEU Positives :

• Needing a legit 3-man, head coach Bert Flores inserted Roger Pogoy into the mix, and the Cebu-native delivered. Playing in just 16 minutes, Pogoy scored 14 points, hauled down six boards and made two steals, contributing eight points in the huge third quarter rally that saw FEU take the UST lead down to just two markers. 
• UST's weakness is that it can't stop they can't stop the run, giving up the most fastbreak opportunities and points of all the UAAP teams. FEU used that fact to great advantage, scoring a 21 to 10 third quarter based on 10 transition points and eight turnover points.

FEU Negatives :

• The Tamaraws' slow start made it too difficult for them to properly seize a lead in the fourth quarter. Down 23-11 after the first quarter, only their "Big Three" of Garcia, Romeo and Ramos scored in those first 10 minutes, as the supporting cast gave them nothing in the face of the UST blitz. 
• Injuries have been the story of the FEU season, and it's a story that continued in this game, as Russel Escoto was limited to just eight minutes of play because of his sprained wrist, though he did manage to make an impact by hitting a huge triple. 

UST Positives :

• The Tigers shot 51.6 percent from the field in the first half, quickly establishing a huge lead that turned out to be too huge for FEU to overcome.
• Against a lack of quality big men on the Tamaraws, Karim Abdul romped through their interior, finishing with 20 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. 

UST Negatives :

• The second unsportsmanlike foul on Karim Abdul may turn out to be a huge blow to the Tigers hopes of winning their last assignment, should he be suspended. With Carmelo Afuang already out, UST does not have the frontcourt depth to match up against Emmanuel Mbe and may draw an unfavorable seed in the stepladder format.

UAAP Picking Record: 40-12

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