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.

NCAA S87 Autopsy: UPHSD Altas

Outgoing Players
- Christopher Sison (10.4 minutes, 2.8 points, 1.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists)
- Harold Sumera (16 minutes, 3.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocks)

Win/Loss Records
- Season 87: 5-13 (9th out of 10)
- Season 86: 2-14 (8th out of 9, due to quotient)
- Season 85: 3-15 (9th out of 10)

Key Stats
- Scored the fewest points per game on average (66.5) and was dead last in scoring in each of the four quarters (15.39, 15.61, 16.33, 17.44)
- Made the fewest 2-pointers (17( and free throws per game (12.33) of any team, contributing to a league-worst field goal percentage (34.86)
- Led the league in three pointers made (6.72) and attempted (24.5)
- Committed the fewest turnovers per game (15.72) and gave up the fewest turnover points (11.72)
- Tied with Emilio Aguinaldo for most fouls per game (19.72)

Season in a Glance
If the Altas thought things couldn't get any worse compared to last season, they were wrong. Despite sitting out a season already, Paul Nuilan was once again denied eligibility by the NCAA MANCOM. Then Perpetual Help itself decided to remove Marlon Gomez from the line-up for vague reasons about an "unwritten gentleman's agreement." That led to head coach Boris Aldeguer resigning in disgust, leaving the host school without their two main big men and a mentor. As if that wasn't enough, they then lost Jeorge Allen in their season opener.

It was probably no surprise that the Altas won just a single game in the first round of play, needing a triple-overtime affair against JRU to notch their sole victory, but as the season progressed, new head coach Jimwell Gican was able to instill some fight in his boys. Heady play allowed them to stay in the thick of things in round two, winning four of their last nine, including a big win over the Letran Knights. That surge also lifted them from the cellar, 5-13, an accomplishment, given all that they went through.

Highlight: The San Sebastian Stags picked the wrong game to experiment in, switching to a slow-it-down style of play in an attempt to cut down on their turnovers versus Perpetual Help. Not only did the Stags still turn the ball over at their usual rate, the pace was to the Altas' liking as they stuck like glue to the then-tournament leaders. With Abueva missing on game-sealing charities, the Altas got the ball back with 14.8 seconds left, allowing Scottie Thompson the opportunity to snatch the win with a hook shot in the post over Ronald Pascual. Though it bounced off the rim, giving SSC-R the 77-76 win, it showed that teams underestimated the hosts at their only peril.

Lowlight: After watching their schoolmates put on an impressive opening ceremony, the Altas came out for the first game of the NCAA season versus the reigning champs, San Beda Red Lions, and then promptly fell flat, as the Red Lions roared to a 20-4 start. When the dust settled, not a single Alta finished in double digits, and they also suffered injuries to Jeorge Allen and Anthony Paulino in the process of the 82-52 rout.

Off-season Questions

1. Who's coaching this team?
Jimwell Gican clearly worked some coaching magic down the stretch of the season, motivating his hard-luck squad and putting them in a position to win in round two. After taking four of the last nine games, with only one of the five losses by double-digits, Gican joked that if there were a third round of play, his team probably could have snuck into the Final Four. He probably wasn't far off.

But there are rumors that the school is thinking bigger for their next head coach, with the possibility of tapping alumnus Bong Hawkins. Hawkins had a stint as one of Tim Cone's assistant coaches and was recently an assistant of Luigi Trilio for the Cebuana Lhuillier D-League squad so he does have some coaching experience. His name could also attract a few recruits so it's easy to see why he would be a strong candidate if he was interested in the job.

Answer: It's Aric Del Rosario. Surprise!

2. When will the Altas be a Final Four team again?
In 2003, the Altas were 3-11, but then jumped up to 10-4 the next year, where they were the top seed after the elimination round, getting all the way to the Finals before losing to PCU in two games. They missed the Final Four by a game in Season 8`, and have been slumping all the way down the standings since then. One recruiting class can make a huge difference, but does Perpetual Help have the scouts to look for untapped talent and the resources to attract said talent?

Team Needs
- Lots and lots of height

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
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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

NCAA S87: AU vs UPHSD

History Lesson:
Coming close doesn't count for a lot in the NCAA, but the Altas did find themselves with a winnable game. Gerald Lapuz halved his charities to put the Chiefs up 71-62, but star player Jett Vidal countered with a triple, reducing the deficit to six, 1:34 left. Concentrated defense by the Altas drew two turnovers from the sloppy Chiefs, but the host school could not convert on the other end, with Vidal failing to repeat his make from downtown on two tries. They got close enough to make it 71-65, but by then, the clock had ran out, giving Arellano back to back wins for the first time in the season. (Recap here)


What's at Stake:

• There's nothing at stake but pride in this game, as the 6-11 Chiefs take on the 4-13 Altas.

AU Stat to Watch : We know that the Chiefs love to zone, and when they do, they're vulnerable to three-point shots if they don't rotate quickly enough to the open guy. They didn't do that in the first half of the season, giving up 34.98 percent shooting from downtown and 6.87 makes. Well they seem to have righted that ship in the latter part of the year as that percentage has dropped down to 26.28 percent and four treys. Given that the Altas take and make the most triples in the league, that defense will be tested in their final game of the season.
AU Player to Watch : Andrian Celada's numbers are down across the board from his Mythical Five selection season a year ago, but the graduating senior will likely look to leave with a bang before heading off to the PBA-DL, and perhaps, the PBA after that.

UPHSD Stat to Watch : The Altas bucked a 33 percent shooting clip to beat Letran from the line, going 21 of 26 from the stripe. That's 80.77 percent, their best for the entire season, believe it or not. Can they repeat that feat?
UPHSD Player to Watch : Jett Vidal out-dueled Kevin Alas in their upset of Letran, with Vidal scoring 18 on 5 of 13 field goal shooting, and more importantly, 7 of 8 from the line. If he can match the production of Celada, then the Altas will likely be in good shape.


Prediction: AU Chiefs

One Day Later: UPHSD vs CSJL, MIT vs EAC

UPHSD 68 - CSJL 53
Recap - - - Preview

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

The Numbers :

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

The Other Names :

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

MIT 98 - EAC 73
Recap - - - Preview

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

The Numbers :

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

The Other Names :

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

NCAA S87: UPHSD vs CSJL

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


What's at Stake:

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

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

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

Prediction: CSJL Knights

One Day Later: 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
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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.

NCAA S87: JRU vs UPHSD

History Lesson:
Perpetual Help finally notched win number one in sports movie like fashion, surviving three overtime periods and fouled out players, getting relief from the bench in the form of a comebacking Jeorge Allen to beat the Heavy Bombers 79-77. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• At 6-9, the JRU Heavy Bombers are in a three-team tie for fourth place with Lyceum and Mapua. More than though, they'd surely like to get revenge for their upset loss. 
• Once again the cellar-dwellers, the 3-12 host school Perpetual Help Altas will settle once again for playing spoiler, looking for a repeat performance against the team that gave them their first win of the season.

JRU Stat to Watch : After some awful three-point shooting that includes a 1 for 12 performance in this game, the Heavy Bombers managed to hit seven each in their last two back to back games. That's the sort of floor spacing they could use on a more consistent basis as they battle for a Final Four spot.
JRU Player to Watch : John Lopez turned in a decent performance, 14 points and 11 rebounds in the first game, but those seem small considering he played 46 minutes. Lopez was also responsible for a team-high nine turnovers in the game. Now that he's no longer the focal point of their offense, Lopez might produce better results under less pressure.

UPHSD Stat to Watch : It took the Altas three overtimes in the first round to notch 79 points, but they've averaged 75 in their last three games, none of which went beyond regulation. Part of the reason why is because Perpetual's been taking and making more triples, from 8 of 22 in 55 minutes, to 8.33 of 27. Considering how JRU's been piling on the offense as well, compared to how they were in the first round, they might need those triples to keep in step.
UPHSD Player to Watch : The Altas leaned on their best scorer, Jett Vidal, to carry them in overtime, where he scored 9 of his season-high 21 points. Vidal was 5 for 12 from beyond the arc in that game, but 0 for 6 from the two-point territory, something that's become almost the norm for him. In his last four games, the former PCU Dolphin made just a single two-pointer after 13 attempts, but is 14/40 from downtown.


PREDICTION: JRU Heavy Bombers

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

NCAA S87: UPHSD vs SSCR

History Lesson:
What started as a close game, tied at 15 after one quarter, 35-31 for the Stags are the first half, quickly became a blowout after the halftime break, as the Stags came out and dominated the hapless Altas behind a then-career high 31 points by Calvin Abueva, and a then-career high by Ronald Pascual. Unfortunately, the 87-60 win did not come without a price as this was also the game where San Sebastian lost Jonathan Semira to an ACL-tear, after initial reports were optimistic.  (Recap here)

UPHSD Stat to Watch : The hapless Altas average the least amount of points per game, at just 65.64 points, due in part because they convert only a lowly 23.64 field goals per game. That's simply not going to cut it against a Stags team that is averaging 90 points per game in the second round, no matter how good your defense is.
UPHSD Player to Watch : Justine Alano is the Altas' second-leading scorer, averaging 8.5 points and a team-high 6.4 rebounds, impressive considering how he's probably the smallest of all the starting centers in the league. He'll have to somehow contain Ian Sangalang who's been putting up some monster numbers as of late, to which he say to Alano, "Good luck."

SSCR Stat to Watch : Head coach Topex Robinson has been on the Stags' case about their slow starts, wanting to blow teams out as early as the first quarter. In the first round, the average difference between the two teams was 6.67 in favor of the Stags, a number which has risen to 7.75 in round two. He'll definitely be look at how the Stags begin this match, as they were tied after one quarter when they first played.
SSCR Player to Watch : Odds are the Altas will use the zone to try to stop the San Sebastian bigs, meaning the Stags will turn to Ronald Pascual to keep them honest. Though he's averaging around 30 percent from downtown overall, that number has climbed to 41 percent in the second round, on 13 out of 32 triples. If he's on target, this will be a long game for the host school.

Prediction: SSCR Stags

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: 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 

NCAA S87: EAC vs UPHSD

History Lesson:
Trailing by just a point, 20-19, to the Generals early in the second period, the host school Altas instead found themselves stymied, held to just three more field goals in the first half, as EAC jumped out to a 34-26 advantage going into halftime. Perpetual Help made one more push after that, as Jett Vidal knotted things up 41-all in the third. Unfortunately, their shooters went offline again when they needed them most, as the Altas managed just one field goal in the fourth quarter's first six minutes, allowing EAC to pull ahead and get the 71-58 win. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• These two squads are pretty much locks to miss the Final Four again, with EAC at 3-9 and UPHSD at 3-10. This then becomes a race to avoid the cellar, a place they shared in Season 86 last year.

EAC Stat to Watch : The Generals have been hit hard by injuries in the second round, creating a difficult situation for them, as the unfamiliar rotation patterns have cranked up their turnovers to a league-worst 22 in the second round. As a result, they shoot the ball the fewest times of all the other teams, just 61.67 times a game, two less than the next closest team.
EAC Player to Watch : Remy Morada has been the guy keeping this team afloat, scoring 28 versus Arellano to keep them close, and 11 in their devastating loss to San Beda. If Joshua Torralba continues to miss games, Morada might be EAC's best scoring option, moving ahead of guys like Milan Vargas.

UPHSD Stat to Watch : After some horrible starts to games, Perpetual Help has been avoided getting off on the wrong foot recently. In their past two games, the Altas have scored 19.5 points in the first quarter, a huge improvement from 14.18 mark prior to Mapua and Lyceum in round two. They tallied three games in which they were held to just single-digit scoring in the first 10 minutes, the most in the NCAA.
UPHSD Player to Watch : Harold Arboleda top-scored for the Altas in their recent upset win over the Lyceum Pirates, finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds. While we haven't seen one of Perpetual Help's supporting cast string together back to back strong games, Arboleda has previously put up big numbers, dropping 17 versus Mapua and 10 against JRU. He's a good match-up for Jolas Paguia, whom Perpetual Help cannot allow to get hot.


Prediction: UPHSD Altas

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

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!

One Day Later: AU vs EAC, MIT vs UPHSD

AU 78 - EAC 70
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : It's one of those times when I have to give this to someone on the losing team. Remy Morada basically kept the EAC Generals from losing by 20+ points (exaggeration, but still) with his out of nowhere 28 point explosion, 17 coming in the third quarter, when EAC briefly harbored comeback aspirations. He shot 11 of 16 from the field, 5 of 7 from downtown, and added five rebounds, three assists and two steals in the process, to just two turnovers, while playing 35 minutes. Without Milan Vargas and Joshua Torralba, the Generals were lucky to find another talent on their bench to keep them competitive.

AU Positives :

• Head coach Leo Isaac expanded his rotation to include 10 players, and the move allowed him to keep his guys fresh (with the exception of Andrian Celada, who played 38 minutes). The reserves were led once again by Mark Doligon, whose hot shooting led to 14 markers, as well as four boards, two assists and two blocks. 
• The Chiefs outhustled the Generals in fastbreak points, 13 to 8, and in turnover points, 18 to 10. They also tallied a whopping 20 to 8 advantage in assists.
• Seeing the depleted Generals line-up before them, the Chiefs decided to attack, attack, attack. EAC as a result, had one guy foul out and three players tagged with four fouls. With an already shortened line-up, that forced head coach Gerry Esplana's hand, putting third-stringers on the court. Another consequence was that Arellano got 40 looks at the foul stripe, of which they converted 28.

AU Negatives :

• Arellano managed just 35 percent shooting, despite playing an already poor defensive team stripped of some of their more athletic players.

EAC Positives :

• EAC was at least able to go down swinging despite their numbers. They also managed to shoot well (when they took care of the ball), leading to 43 percent shooting on the balance, 24 of 56 from the field, and a scorching 8 of 17 stint from beyond the arc.

EAC Negatives :

• The Generals still couldn't take care of the ball, resulting in 21 turnovers that the Chiefs pounced on. Six of those came from Claude Cubo, and five were from Jan Jamon, their two most veteran players.
• After a slow start, the Generals forgot about Jolas Paguia for awhile, only to realize he created mismatches with the Arellano bigs, using him to break their fourth quarter dry spell by getting him into the post. In truth, they should have gone to the post more often with him and Cubo, instead of hanging around throwing up jumpers, regardless of how good their shooting percentage wound up being. It could have still been higher. 
• Only eight assists again for this team. Even without Torralba, this squad still succumbed to one on one play.

MIT 65  - UPHSD 62
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Josan Nimes is becoming the face of the Mapua Cardinals. Nimes sparked Mapua's second quarter comeback, and then helped seal the game with six in the fourth quarter and the huge assist to Yousef Taha for a critical score late. He finished with 21 markers on 7 of 13 shooting, 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, three rebounds and three assists. Nimes also shows great awareness, mixing up his long-range bombs with drives to the basket to keep the defense honest.

MIT Positives :

• The Cardinals have been winning games late, a far cry from their early season collapses. Now if they can just start posting big leads early...

MIT Negatives :

• Despite a three-big man line-up to start the game, the Cardinals still found themselves being out-rebounded by 10 at the end of the first half. This despite the lack of height on the Perpetual side. Thankfully, they managed to control the boards late, especially in the second to the last possession where they kept getting the missed free throws for return trips to the line.
• Despite getting 28 free throws, the Cardinals made just 13 for 46 percent shooting from the line. They've been insanely inconsistent from that area, averaging around 60 percent.

UPHSD Positives :

• Once again the Altas came out looking to out-work their opponents, and it worked early on until their shots stopped falling. They can take some pride in the fact that they managed to out-rebound Mapua by 10 after twenty minutes though. 
• Jett Vidal had an extremely efficient game, getting all 15 of his points from beyond the arc, while shooting fifty percent, 5 of 10.

UPHSD Negatives :

• On the last play of the game, the Altas couldn't get the ball into Jett Vidal's hands, and were forced to settle for a Chris Elopre triple. I would have still forced it to Vidal due to his hot shooting, and the fact that they had enough time to try to bump off Jumel Chien, his defender, by running him through a screen or something similar. 
• Despite their lack of height, the Altas did not even get a single fastbreak attempt for easy points. They also were unable to take advantage of Mapua's 18 turnovers, getting a mere five points off those miscues.

NCAA Picking Record: 39-14-1 (I forgot to pick between MIT and UPHSD)

NCAA S87: MIT vs UPHSD

History Lesson:
One would think that possessing four or so players standing 6'5" or taller would give you an advantage over the smallest team in the league. Think again, as the Mapua Cardinals were content to bomb away against the 2-3 zone of Perpetual Help, as the two squads combined to go 16 of 53 from outside the arc. Though the Altas led early, as the Cardinals' triples weren't falling,  Rodel Ranises and Jonathan Banal found their range late, crafting a 10-point, 57-47 lead in the final period that looked unbeatable, until Perpetual Help nearly did just that. In the end, it came down to a triple, as Perpetual Help's Jett Vidal missed a triple that he had to double clutch at the buzzer, allowing Mapua to escape, 65-63. (Recap here)

What's at Stake:

• The one-time cellar dwelling Mapua Cardinals find themselves in solo fifth place with a 4-6 record, behind the 5-5 Lyceum Pirates, their second round win against the CSB Blazers helping to knock that team down the standings.  A win here allows them to move up to just a half game behind for fourth, allowing them fulfill preseason expectations. 
• The 2-9 Perpetual Help Altas are happy playing spoiler, and are in fact a team Mapua should thank for playing a role in the slump the Blazers are currently embroiled in. They most likely have no problem doing the same thing to the Cardinals though, especially considering how they came really close in round one. 

MIT Stat to Watch : The Cardinals got just a combined 10 points from their bigs, six from Yousef Taha and four from Mike Parala, in their first encounter with Perpetual Help. Similarly, against St. Benilde, Parala, Taha and Mike Sarangay totaled just 21 out of a 94 point win. "Bombs away" seems to be their motto, regardless of how tall the other team is, and one of these days, it's going to bite them in the rear. 
MIT Player to Watch : Who would have thought before the season that Josan Nimes would be having a better rookie season than Yousef Taha? Probably no one, but Nimes just posted back to back 20+ point games, as the only Cardinal willing to drive into the lane and head to the line. He's a mismatch waiting to happen given his height and shooting ability, something that will come in handy against the tiny Altas team.

UPHSD Stat to Watch : Sloppy play by the Cardinals allowed Perpetual Help to hang close, as Mapua made a whopping 21 errors, compared to just eight by the Altas, giving the host school a 22 to 4 turnover point advantage. That's something they'll obviously be looking for again in this round two encounter.
UPHSD Player to Watch : A healthy George Allen equals a tougher Altas team, as the multi-talented forward averages 10.67 points while shooting 36 percent from downtown, 41 percent overall, plus he grabs 6.33 rebounds a game. He could provide that extra push to put Perpetual Help over the top after the close nature of the first game between these two teams.

EDIT: Forgot to add a prediction! 

One Day Later: UPHSD vs CSB, LPU vs JRU

Hard fought - the Altas won an ugly, but much-needed second win against CSB (pic source)

UPHSD 63 - CSB 57
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Seeing a guy take 17 three pointers, plus five more two pointers, always weirds me out, especially if his final score is not in the forties, so sorry Jett Vidal, I'm going to have to give this award to two players, your big men Justine Alano and Anthony Paulino, who both finished with 10-10 statlines. Alano pulled down a team-high seven offensive rebounds, plus blocked two shots, while Paulino was more efficient as a scorer, but still managed four offensive boards and two assists. Given how big rebounding played into this game, it seems appropriate that we single these two out.

UPHSD Positives :

• Rebounds made a huge difference in this game, with Perpetual Help snagging 49 to just 36 by CSB, 20 to 8 on the offensive glass. That led to a 16-4 edge in second chance points.
• Getting George Allen back from achilles sprain was huge, as his energy carried the Altas early, especially when his two triples connected. He finished with eight points, five rebounds and two assists. If he can finally stay healthy, Perpetual Help becomes that much better.

UPHSD Negatives :

• A game after the Altas tallied a season-low 19 points after twenty minutes, Perpetual Help came dangerously close to matching it with 20 in the first half. They turned it up in the second half, but sooner or later, an opponent's going to come around and put them down, only this time, they won't be able to produce another comeback.
• The lack of fastbreak points continues to be an issue, as the Altas scored just two in that category in this game, a season-low.

CSB Positives :

• The running game was in full-force for the Blazers, as they got a season-high 20 fastbreak points, buoyed by the athleticism and speed of Paolo Taha and Jonathan Grey. 

CSB Negatives :

• Here's a litany of lows the Blazers were able to hit in this game: fewest points scored, worst three-point percentage, worst free throw percentage, first time to get single-digit assists, and lowest second and third quarter outputs.
• Once again CSB looked dominant for three quarters before encountering a hiccup in the fourth, righting themselves, and then collapsing again, but this time for good. It's something the coaching staff has to deal with if they're to get back in the hunt for the fourth seed.

Talking strategy - the Lyceum Pirates continue to surprise, even in the second round (pic source)

LPU 71 - JRU 65
Recap - - - Preview

Player of the Game : Fine, Chris Cayabyab went 1 for 6 from beyond the arc, but to get his 19 points, he was also 7 for 11 from two-point, and he grabbed 11 rebounds for a double-double. It's uncommon for a shooter to mix it up like that down low, so we have to commemorate that feat.

LPU Positives :

• Defense was the name of the game, as the Pirates held JRU to a measly nine points in the final period, while they scored 21 markers, turning the tables on the hapless Heavy Bombers. 
• Despite being undersized, Lyceum still managed to own the glass, getting a 53-34 rebounding edge that included a 22-16 advantage in offensive boards.They weren't quite able to capitalize on all those second-chance opportunities though, only getting a +4 in that category, 10 to 6.
• After a half of zoning the Bombers, the Lyceum braintrust decided to play straight up 1 on 1 defense to minimize the perimeter shooting of JRU, a move that contributed to the poor shooting of the Heavy Bombers late.

LPU Negatives :

• Only two triples made in this game for the best three-point shooting team in the league entering this game. As a result...they're no longer the best three-point shooting team in the league.
• Four flagrant fouls on three different players is a ridiculous number, no matter how physical and chippy JRU is. And unluckily, two of them had to land on Floricel Guevarra, the team's second leading scorer. Not only was it lucky that they won, they might  be hard-pressed to win without him in their next game as he serves his mandatory suspension. 

JRU Positives :

• Well, they at least got 24 turnover points, their second highest amount of the season...

JRU Negatives :

• What happened to the JRU big men? John Montemayor, John Lopez, and Jeckster Apinan were a combined 22 points and 21 rebounds, measly numbers for this trio. Furthermore, the team only had two blocked shots, and neither were by the three aforementioned players.
• JRU did themselves in with unforced turnovers, and more importantly, a ton of useless fouls. It's not like they had to foul to put big men they couldn't match up against on the line, but more of silly, excessive nudges and the like, the type that can drive a coach crazy. All in all, Lyceum shot 36 charities and made 23, while JRU was far away in comparison, with 24 trips to the line and 10 makes. 
• Nate Matute couldn't replicate his hot shooting in the first round against this same team, going 2 for 10 from downtown, 2 of 5 from inside the arc, and 1 for 4 from the line. Similarly, team captain Raycon Kabigting, on both the receiving and dealing end of flagrant fouls, scored only on two charities, missing all three field goals. 

NCAA Picking Record: 37-14