Mapua Cardinals within the NCAA Season 97. NCAA/GMA PHOTO
Brian Lacap has been placing within the additional workload recently and acquired rewarded for it.
“I’m grateful that the extra effort that I did after each observe paid off,’’ mentioned the hot-sniping Lacap following Mapua’s 84-65 victory over Faculty of St. Benilde (CSB) on Tuesday within the NCAA Season 97 males’s basketball event at La Salle Greenhills.
He doesn’t plan on pausing his supplementary labors because the Cardinals hope to strengthen their Ultimate 4 place coming into their closing two elimination spherical matches.
For now, the Cardinals are comfortably lodged at solo third, their fifth win in seven video games placing them behind unbeaten front-runners San Beda and Letran, the defending champion.
On Saturday, the Cardinals will face the Purple Lions, who’ve demolished all of their 5 opponents with loads to spare. The Cardinals will wrap up the elimination spherical in opposition to the Lyceum Pirates late subsequent week.
“We’ve the time to organize for these matches [and] carry on constructing that chemistry as we aspire to go deep into the playoffs,’’ mentioned Mapua coach Randy Alcantara.
Lacap fired a game-high 22 factors constructed on 4 threes whereas Paolo Hernandez likewise swished 4 triples of his personal for the Cardinals, who solely wanted a 15-0 assault halfway within the second quarter to place the Blazers away.
“To be sincere, I used to be slightly bit pressured,’’ mentioned Lacap after beginning for the second consecutive sport following an admirable successful output in opposition to the Perpetual Altas final day trip.
“I simply made positive to give you a very good begin to inspire the bench,” added Lacap, who had a unbelievable effectivity score of +32.
Hernandez had 17 factors and 7 rebounds with a pair of steals whereas Rence Nocum additionally completed in twin digits with 14.
The Cardinals’ red-hot taking pictures buried 12 threes, a sport after drilling 16 from afar in opposition to the Altas. In addition they managed their free throws properly, muffing solely three out of 21 journeys from the road.
In distinction, the CSB Blazers dropped their third match in seven video games after a dismal 1-of-18 efficiency from the trifecta territory as they merely allowed the Cardinals to coast alongside.
In the meantime, Alex Desoyo swished a cold-blooded nook jumper within the dwindling seconds as San Sebastian Faculty held off Jose Rizal College, 70-64, within the different sport.
Ken Villapando discovered a wide-open Desoyo, whose shot stabilized the Stags on the way in which to their third win in 4 video games. INQ
Learn Subsequent
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get entry to The Philippine Each day Inquirer & different 70+ titles, share as much as 5 devices, hearken to the information, obtain as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Name 896 6000.
For suggestions, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.
