The San Beda University Red Lions came back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to keep their NCAA finals hopes alive after an epic 73-67 overtime win over Mapua University in the NCAA Season 97 Final Four on Sunday at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
James Kwekuteye scored a team-high 17 points for the Red Lions while Jacob Cortez and Ralph Penuela both chipped in with 13 each to help the cause.
San Beda will need one more win against twice-to-beat Mapua to keep their streak of 14 consecutive finals appearances, one that dates back to 2006, going.
The two teams will meet again in a do-or-die game on Wednesday, May 11, to decide who advances opposite Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the title series.
The Cardinals led by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter before a huge 14-4 run by the Red Lions allowed them to take the lead. The teams exchanged some clutch baskets, but none bigger than Penuela’s putback that tied the game at 60-all with 2.8 seconds left.
In the extra period, San Beda went on a 7-0 run, courtesy of big shots from Penuela, Peter Alfaro, and JB Bahio to open up a 71-64 lead with 1:25 remaining.
Cortez knocked down some late free throws to help preserve the win.
Warren Bonifacio led Mapua with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Mapua put the clamps on San Beda early in the game allowing only six points in the first quarter especially with Kwekuteye planted on the bench for the entire opening period. The Cardinals were able to take a 12-6 lead after a low-scoring quarter.
But Kwekuteye and Cortez changed the complexion of the game as they checked in during the second quarter and started putting up point on the board for San Beda. The two combined to score 13 of the Red Lions’ 19 points in the second and matched the entire output of the Cardinals as the teams went into the halftime break deadlocked at 25-all.
The Mapua defense again held sturdy in the third quarter as they shackled the San Beda attack yet again, limiting the Red Lions to just eight points in 10 minutes. Paolo Hernandez, meanwhile, carried the load for the Cardinals on the other end, scoring nine of his team’s 16 points in the period. That allowed Mapua to take a 41-33 lead heading into the final period.
Brian Lacap opened the fourth with a drive and finish to make it a 10-point Mapua lead, 43-33, early in the fourth quarter.
But San Beda went on a 14-4 fourth quarter run to turn an eight-point deficit into a two-point lead, 56-54, heading into the fourth quarter. The run was spearheaded by Kwekuteye and JB Bahio, who combined to score nine of those points.
Big shots exchanged between Penuela and Bonifacio swung the lead back and forth but a crucial split from the line from Lacap allowed San Beda to counter on the break, which led to the Penuela putback off a Kwekuteye miss that forced overtime.
In OT, the teams traded in the opening minutes before San Beda's decisive run gave them a seven-point cushion. A triple from Alfaro, a nice move from Penuela, and a jumper from Bahio in succession made it a comfortable lead heading into the final stretch
Mapua could've inched closer but some missed free throws proved costly late in the extra period.
The scores:
San Beda 73 - Kwekuteye 17, Cortez 13, Penuela 13, Bahio 9, Alfaro 9, Cometa 3, Jopia 2, Sanchez 2, Abuda 2, Amsali 2, Gallego 1, Cuntapay 0, Andrada 0, Fornis 0, Ynot 0.
Mapua 67 - Bonifacio 18, Hernandez 14, Lacap 12, Nocum 9, Agustin 5, Gamboa 4, Salenga 4, Garcia 1, Pido 0, Asuncion 0, Mercado 0.
Quarters: 6-12, 25-25, 33-41, 60-60, 73-67 (OT).
—JMB, GMA News
