MAPUA University enters Monday's second-round showdown with College of Saint Benilde aiming for payback and an extended winning streak as the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament heats up at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The 6-3 Mapua Cardinals take on the 6-3 Benilde Blazers at 3 p.m., looking to avenge a tight 82-77 defeat suffered back on Sept. 25.
While the first round ended in disappointment against the Blazers, the Cardinals arrive at Monday's rematch riding high on a six-game win streak, capped by a statement victory over defending champion San Beda University.
Guard Cyrus Cuenco has been instrumental in Mapua's surge, coming off a stellar 25-point performance against San Sebastián on Oct. 19 and a 17-point outing against Perpetual on Oct. 16.
“That what coach (Chito Victolero) told us, to have a legacy whenever we play and leave something for Mapua. I always do my best, and it does not matter who is the player of the game in every match, because this is our overall effort inside the court,” Cuenco told the media in Filipino.
Alongside teammates Yam Concepcion and Marcus Nitura, Cuenco forms a formidable core that Benilde will need to contain.
On the other side of the court, Benilde looks to regroup after closing out the crossover round with consecutive losses to Emilio Aguinaldo College and Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
To halt Mapua's momentum, the Blazers will lean on Jhomel Ancheta, SJ Moore, and Justine Sanchez to lead the charge and replicate their success from their previous encounter.
With both squads holding identical 6-3 records, Monday's winner will force a crowded logjam at the summit of the Group A standings, joining San Beda and Jose Rizal University at 7-3.
Every fixture carries immense weight in the current tournament stretch. The top two teams in each pool secure a coveted twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals, whereas the lower-ranked squads face a grueling path through the play-in round or a knockout crossover round for the third seed.
Rounding out the double-header at 5 p.m., the University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta (2-7) clashes with Arellano University (5-4).
Perpetual is desperate to snap a six-game skid that has dropped them to fourth in Group B, while Arellano seeks to solidify its hold on the second spot despite a challenging crossover round. NICOLE ANNE D.G. BUGAUISAN
