Games Thursday
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
2 p.m. — LPU vs AU
4 p.m. — Letran vs San Beda
PAOLO Hernandez put on his superman cape in the fourth quarter as Mapua University outlasted College of St. Benilde (CSB), 75-71, yesterday to boost its NCAA Season 99 stock at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.
The sweet-shooting Mr. Hernandez came and saved the day for the Cardinals after a heroic 12-point performance in the final five minutes en route to finishing with a game-high 22 points.
Mapua Cardinals’ last seven points also came from Mr. Hernandez — a clutch jumper and five pressure-packed foul shots — as it claimed its third victory in four outings that was good enough to keep it inside the magic four.
And it was because Mr. Hernandez played Mapua’s man of steel to the hilt.
“He was just clutch,” said Mapua coach Randy Alcantara referring to Paolo Hernandez.
But it took Mapua time to get its game going after struggling painfully in the first half when it trailed by as much as 11 points before it managed to trim it down somehow to a more manageable 37-30 deficit.
And then the Cardinals got it going and kept the game close before they finally caught up on the Blazers by snatching the former’s first lead of the game at 59-58 courtesy of an Hernandez three-point play with a little over five minutes to go.
Mapua also got a big break after Will Gozum fouled out in that same stretch.
It was a heartbreaker for the CSB Blazers, who managed to snatch a 71-70 lead after Miguel Oczon sank a thunderous triple with 35 seconds to go.
It proved to be CSB’s last as Mapua held it scoreless the rest of the way while Mr. Hernandez hammered in the final nail in the coffin with a bucket and three free throws. — Joey Villar
CSB sputtered to 1-3.
The scores:
First Game
Mapua 75- Hernandez 22, Escamis 12, Soriano 12, Recto 8, Cuenco 7, Bonifacio 6, Fornis 4, Rosillo 2, Bancale 2, Igliane 0, Asuncion 0, Dalisay 0
CSB 71- Cortez 15, Oczon 14, Gozum 11, Nayve 8, Turco 8, Cajucom 6, Carlos 4, Sangco 4, Marcos 1, Marasigan 0, Mara 0, Jarque 0
Quarterscores: 11-18; 30-37; 50-54; 75-71
