Cardinals clip Altas in overtime

Mapua University extended its winning streak to five games after outlasting the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, 65-60, in overtime in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

Coming off a 69-67 overtime victory over Letran College last Monday, the Cardinals again showed their composure in the clutch to improve to 5-3 in Group A.

Head coach Chito Victolero lauded his wards’ resilience as they continue to find ways to pull off victories.

“Actually, the quote of the day was ‘toughness,’ and I knew it would be a grind-it-out game and even a 45-minute game,” Victolero said.

“I looked for a word for the game and it was all about our toughness, grit and resilience. I think we had a bad game but we will take it.”

Mapua erased a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter, with Jamal Diaz draining a triple at the 5:21 mark to spark a 12-0 run that gave the Cardinals a slim 54-52 lead.

Mark Gojo Cruz tied the game at 54 with a layup with 1:15 remaining, and neither team could find the go-ahead basket in regulation.

The Cardinals found their rhythm in overtime, with Cyrus Cuenco knocking down a triple with 3:38 left before Mapua pulled away to secure the victory.

Mapua lorded over the shaded area with 56 rebounds and 30 points inside the paint.

Cuenco finished with a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds, scoring nine of Mapua’s 11 points in extra period.

Yam Concepcion and Marcus Nitura chipped in 14 points each, while Diaz added 12 for the Cardinals.

LA Casinillo led Perpetual with 17 points, while Gojo Cruz finished with 10 as the Altas absorbed their fifth straight loss to fall to 2-6 in Group B.