Mapua University turned to Clint Escamis in the clutch as the reigning MVP lifted the Cardinals to an epic comeback win against De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, 75-73, in NCAA Season 100 on Sunday.
Escamis, whose third quarter showing allowed the Cardinals to erase a 20-point deficit, buried the game-winning three-pointer off his own steal and rebound en route to the all-important two-point victory.
The reigning MVP posted a game-high 26 points, which included his 10 points that sparked their rally in the third quarter period, while also grabbing five assists, four rebounds, and one steal as the Final Four-bound Mapua near a twice-to-beat bonus.
Mapua, which handed Benilde its first loss in the second round, thus forged a tie at the top with the Blazers with their identical 13-3 records while also extending its winning streak to seven.
"I think si God na 'yun. [We're] down by 20 points pero siyempre kilala naman natin si Clint eh pero of course, kung walang guidance ni Lord, wala 'di ba," Mapua coach Randy Alcantara said.
"Tinignan ko nga 'yung stats eh, 30 rebounds lang, paano naman kami mananalo niyan. So ayun, miracle shot."
Everything went to Benilde's way in the first half, knocking down seven triples in the first two quarters alone to create a huge 54-39 halftime separation led by 10 points each from Gab Cometa and Matthew Oli.
However, the Blazers lost steam in the second half and the Cardinals took advantage.
Escamis first caught fire in the third period, fueling a 10-0 blitz that saw them cut the deficit to just one, 60-61, before Ian Torres' triple allowed Benilde carry a three-point lead before the fourth.
But the Blazers relied on big man Allen Liwag, who dominated the paint with two Mapua big men in Yam Concepcion and Marc Igliane fouled out late in the game.
Liwag struggled on the charity stripe as Marc Cuenco forced another deadlock at 70-all before Escamis' layup gave Mapua its first lead at 72-70 with 2:30 to go.
Liwag's split and a putback from Tony Ynot proved crucial for Benilde as they took a slim 73-72 cushion in the final 57 seconds. Benilde looked like it could get away with the win, but endgame lapses were costly for the Blazers with Liwag turning the ball over that set the stage for the Escamis hail mary.
Lawrence Mangubat helped Escamis with 12 points, two assists, two rebounds, and two assists while Concepcion posted 11 markers, five boards, three steals, and one dime.
Liwag top-scored with 15 points while Torres, Cometa, and Oli each poured in 10 markers.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
