Mapua on track to gain 'last Final Four berth'?

It appears that the Mapua Cardinals have finally found a way to compete in the 87th NCAA basketball tournament.

With five wins in the seven games, the Cardinals have climbed up from the cellar to pull within a half-game of the Lyceum Pirates (5-5), a team located just a block away, for fourth spot.

Mapua is no longer choking in the clutch. An example is Monday's gritty 65-62 win over a Perpetual Help Altas team that despite being at the tail-end of the league with a group of cast-offs and unknowns are giving opponents plenty of trouble.

Rookie Josan Nimes has been clutch as of late, draining outside shots with consistency and even making smart plays such as his alley-oop pass to fellow newcomer Yousef Taha that put the Cardinals ahead for good at 63-62.

Allan Mangahas has been showing up in the fourth quarter, veterans like Mark Sarangay and Jason Pascual have helped the "Redbirds" gain some lucky breaks in the homestretch while Jonathan Banal, utility shooter Rodel Ranises and scrappy Kenneth Ighalo have been solid on a few occasions.

The Cards have began to show why some coaches and pundits tagged them as favorites before the start of the season. Unfortunately, their start was awful that it left people scratching their heads.

Mapua was given a sound beating by Letran, a team that failed to enter last year's stepladder phase, in the opener followed by a setback to a pesky College of Saint Benilde team. The woes continued against Lyceum and Jose Rizal University in which it blew double-digit leads with some bad execution in the final two minutes.

Since then, the boys of coach Chito Victolero, who patiently waited for the squad to peak at the right time, have learned to win in the wire.

"I believe ngayon nakakaexecute na kami sa endgame dahil marami na kaming pinagdaanan na ganito," said Victolero.

As they keep catching up, the Cardinals appear to be the favorites in this wild six-team goose chase for the last Final Four berth (looks like the top three teams are Final Four shoo-ins). All teams participating in this race will likely suffer losses to heavyweights San Sebastian, San Beda and Letran.

Mapua has somehow gave those three plenty of challenges in the first round and the same could be seen when they battle these two teams again. But the crucial games will be against their fellow hunters who have struggled since the start of the second round.

St Benilde (4-7) has lost two straight no thanks to blown leads, Arellano (4-8) lacks depth while Jose Rizal University (3-8) and Emilio Aguinaldo College (3-8) are inconsistent.

Then there's Lyceum (5-5). The Pirates are still a dangerous team and they have proved critics wrong with their solid first round outing. Whether they could sustain their form with eight games left remains a question.

The biggest test for Lyceum will be tomorrow, against Mapua. Their match will likely determine the ultimate outcome of the "last semis berth."

On UP and Perpetual

It's not good to be a fan of a varsity basketball team bearing initials containing U plus P and sports maroon or brown-colored uniforms these days.

With winless records to show, University of the Philippines and Perpetual Help are close to completing their dismal performances in the UAAP and NCAA, respectively.

The Maroons (tough to call them Fighting Maroons when that moniker isn't reflecting on the hardcourt) recently fell to a 0-11 slate following another lopsided loss, this time against Final Four contender Adamson 74-51.

On the other hand, the Altas dropped to 0-9 on Wednesday when they bowed to Jose Rizal University, 66-55.

It's quite a disappointment for both teams considering how they have played solidly in the preseason tournaments.

Everyone was hoping for a Maroon revival after a quarterfinals showing in the Filoil preseason tourney. With the veterans somehow maturing and highly-touted Mike Silungan expected to inject some offensive firepower, expectations were high in Diliman.

In fact, they trained in the United States during the summer and even got a huge sponsor boost from Meralco.

But alas, the hopes of reaching the Final Four for the first time 1997 turned out to be a complete disastrous campaign.

After a 0-2 start, the weird coaching change occurred as former PBA champion coach Boyet Fernandez was appointed as acting coach in lieu of Aboy Castro "taking a leave of absence."

It didn't help that the Maroons encountered three heartbreaking losses: 1.) University of Santo Tomas (when Silungan committed a foul in regulation play with his team up one with two ticks left. The Tigers eventually won in overtime) 2.) National University (wasted a 22-point lead in the third quarter) and again 3.) National University (Diony Hipolito's missed freethrow with two ticks left and NU up one).

Adding insult are the injuries and suspensions: Mark Lopez done for the year with an ACL, Woody Co out with an injured foot, Silungan missed one game due to flu and Alvin Padilla getting suspended twice.

As for Silungan, who was hoped by many to be the team's "savior", his stellar plays in preseason tournaments and the Father Martin Cup events became an afterthought and has somehow became some sort of a mortal player in the UAAP.
Sigh. As some would say, "Lahat na yata ng kamalasan sa basketball, naranasan na ng UP."

As for the Altas, they were able to make waves in the preseason that made them one of the favorites to enter the Final Four of the 86th NCAA basketball tournament.

However, the eligibility issues on Marlon Gomez and Paul Nuillan prior to the start of the season instantly killed momentum of the squad of coach Boris Aldeguer.

Even without the two, Perpetual showed signs that it can be one of the toughest teams to beat in the NCAA when it pushed San Sebastian and Mapua to hard-fought matches only to falter down the stretch.

But since then, it was all struggle for the Las Pinas cagers even with the presence of Arnold Danganan (the league's third leading scorer but has been suspended recently by the league), Jet Vidal and Mark Sumera.

Veteran Raffy Ynion has been forced to play center in Gomez's absence. It hasn't helped that his weight problems are affecting him on the court.

The disappearing act this season has been Chris Elopre. The 5-foot-10 guard showed wily abilities last season but those flashes have somehow disappeared this season.

With both leagues already in the second round of hostilities, it is the only hope of some, particularly students, faculty members, alumni and even non-fans are getting that sympathy for each defeat.

Many are hoping that they could get that elusive first win before the season is done. The question though is: Makukuha nga ba nila?

Notes:

- UP hasn't won a game since August 22, 2009 when then-rookie Mikee Reyes erupted for 22 points in an 83-78 win over La Salle at The Arena in San Juan.

- Since then, the Maroons have lost 15 consecutive games.

- Perpetual hasn't won a game since August 12, 2009 when it beat Emilio Aguinaldo College, 86-79.

- The Altas have since lost 18 straight.

- Before the streak, UPHSD finished the first round with a 3-6 slate.

A tale of two NCAA teams, with reflections from the one who wrote this entry

I was born at the Perpetual Help Hospital in Las Pinas 24 years ago. Back then it's exterior was like any typical hospital built during the 70's and 80's. Now it looks like a cavernous place that would make Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis remind of the Oakland Coliseum.

Near that hospital is the school itself, then known as Perpetual Help College of Rizal. It would later became University of Perpetual Help Rizal, then University of Perpetual Help Dalta System and now University of Perpetual Help System Dalta. Still, its cheering squad would chant U-P-H-R! regardless of the recent name changes.

I have many memories about that school. I didn't study there but I remember the 1995 BF Resort interbarangay finals was held at their gym (It was played there for fear that a team would sabotage the tournament) with my brother's team - The Trojans - winning the title.

Our team, Bloomfield Academy played there in 2002 (I was in fourth year high school back then). We played Bernardo College in the annual Las Pinas Private Schools Association (LAPPRISA) and fell by 17 points in the first half. I was in early foul trouble but we managed to make a huge comeback cutting it to four only to falter down the stretch. Perhaps one of those memorable losses I always remember.

As far as Perpetual's NCAA team is concerned. The Altas aren't the toast of the league. It rarely made the Final Four even with the likes of Chester Tolomia, Gilbert Malabanan and Jojo Manalo on the squad. (The three would be part of the Welcoat-Shark rivalry in the PBL). So I was glad that the team made it in 2004 finals (after a heartstopping Final Four thriller against San Beda) led by that deadly scorer in Noy Javier and point guard Khiel Misa. Unfortunately, they ran into the PCU Dolphins of Gabby Espinas, Rob Sanz and Jason Castro (the hero of Game 1) and got swept in that series.

Since then, things haven't been doing well for Perpetual basketball, enduring several losing seasons. But the arrival of coach Boris Aldeguer and a number of recruits, ironically from PCU, has rejuvenated the squad.

Aldeguer, who perhaps travels about 30 minutes to an hour from his Alabang home to campus, is looking to transform this team into a contender much like what he did with La Salle Zobel in the UAAP juniors division. He hopes to make this squad competitive in three to four years time.

Jump shift to Emilio Aguinaldo College. We'll all I can say is, I used to hate the Generals big time!

As a college student at De La Salle University-Dasmarinas, I've seen a lot of great DLSU-D-EAC games in the UCAA and NCRAA. But for the most part, the Generals mostly went home with the W.

EAC achieved a three-peat in the UCAA from 2004-2006 and won one NCRAA cage crown in 2005 led by the likes of forward Nino Songco, lefty shooter Bong Melocoton and perhaps the greatest player in school history - Ronjay Buenafe.

Some of my memorable matches were the opening of the 2004 UCAA season at the Rizal Coliseum where the Generals spanked the Patriots behind Songco's inside game. Another came in 2007 UCAA tournament when both teams figured in a bench-clearing skirmish at a super empty Arena in San Juan that began with DLSU-D's Leo Pelayo (a former classmate in a Religious Education subject) and EAC's Gino Lapuz. The incident saw the ejection of a total of 14 players from both sides.

The best clash of these two schools came in the 2005 UCAA finals. DLSU-D won Game 1 at home to move one step closer to the school's first-ever championship but EAC answered with a Game 2 win in front of its home floor in Ermita, setting up a third game at the San Andres Sports Complex.

And in Game 3, the Patriots were on the verge of winning the big one (although not as big as the UAAP or the NCAA) leading by 13 points in the fourth quarter until Ebuen made it a one man show and eventually tied it at 70-all with under a minute left.

DLSU-D tried to regain the lead but missed a shot opportunity and a seldom-used player (I forgot his name) was fouled with no time left. He muffed the first try to the delight of a few Lasallians in attendance who wished for the contest to play five extra minutes. But to their disappointment, he calmly sank the second freethrow and the Generals won their second straight UCAA title. They completed the "Grandslam" the next year beating St Francis but would not have been a reality had the Patriots avoided their customary act of wasting leads and for the Generals to complete their customary comeback.

Anyway, when this team got the nod as one of the teams that entered the NCAA last year, I was happy. A part of me said that it's a chance for DLSU-D to compete for the crown but other than that it's about this successful college team maturing. They placed eighth last season and the Generals will have to deal with the agony of losing for the next few years.

There are no more Buenafes or Ebuens leading the team. It's now Argel Mendoza as their top player along with Yaya brothers - a bulky Lowell and a medium-built Russell - and also former UST Tiger Emilio "Milan" Vargas (who was mistakenly called by a Champions League barker as Emilio Garcia when he played for the Tigers).

So maybe you're wondering what is this all stories about? We'll I just relate it to the game they played in the Filoil Flying V Invitational at The Arena in San Juan. It's a bit of a meaningless game as two teams are a bit down in the standings although Perpetual sports a 2-3 record while the Generals tote a dismal 0-6 card.

I decided to watch the game until about three minutes in the fourth quarter while dealing with some articles that I have to finish. The scoreboard said Perpetual up 61-55 with about three minutes to go. I just learned that the Altas erased a 15-point deficit to take the lead.

However, EAC, determined to get its first win, rallied in the homestretch and a hook shot by Vargas tied the game at 72-all with 54 seconds left.

Perpetual's Arnold Danganan, a talented lefty guard formerly from the NAASCU's STI Olympian, scored two of his amazing 20 fourth quarter points (he finished with 29) to regain the lead only for the Generals' Jay Santos to bury a three from the right corner for a 75-74 lead with six ticks left.

But one clutch shot deserves another (changed the word from one lucky shot deserves another. Isn't that right Jason Richardson and Ron Artest?). Danganan was the inbounder for the Altas a threw a lob pass into the deep baseline and Marlon Gomez caught the ball.

Guarded by an EAC defender tightly, Gomez was still able to make a small spin and then stretched his arm for a high percentage shot the ball and luckily rolled into the rim and Perpetual went up 76-75 with three seconds left. The Generals had no time outs left and tried to go for one last shot but ran out of time. Perpetual wins!

With that, the Altas won their third straight and is now 3-3 to keep their quarterfinals bid alive. EAC finished its initial stint in this preseason tournament losing all of its seven games to the dismay of the coach Nomar Isla and his wards. It can only end its stint by doing its unique salute while singing the school hymn and move on to prepare for the NCAA season.

"I really expected this to be a close game knowing the fact that EAC hasn't won a game," Aldeguer said during the postgame interview.

Earlier, he praised Danganan's big performance and was surprised to know he scored 20 points in the fourth saying, "He was really feeling it." and described the play for Gomez's basket mentioning that there was somehow a slight miscommunication (citing a screen for Jet Vidal that wasn't executed) that luckily went in their way.

At the end of this rainy day, one team moves on with a chance to reach the next round while another bidding goodbye without a win yet hoping it won't be the measuring stick of how they would fare come the NCAA season.