THE Mapua Cardinals rode on the big games of three former junior standouts to swamp the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 88-72, last Saturday in the 15th Fr. Martin Cup Division 2 basketball tournament at the San Beda-Manila campus in Mendiola.
Sherwin Concepcion, one of three players who led the Mapua Red Robins to finals appearances in their high school days, shot 17 points for the Cardinals as they picked up their first win in two games in Group A.
Last year’s NCAA junior MVP Jasper Salenga had 17 points, while Noah Lugo, who has returned after spending some time with the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, tallied 15 points.
Adrian Nocum scored only four points, but his split charities in the last 58.1 seconds helped the Cardinals overcome a 60-all deadlock.
Concepcion’s drive with 8:33 to go in the final period allowed the Cards to stay up by six, 68-62.
Two of Salenga’s baskets saw the Cards taking a 10-point bubble, 76-66, in the remaining 5:55.
In other games, Manila Patriotic School defeated Letran, 69-64, while Far Eastern University stopped the Mapua Red Robins, 89-72, in a pair of junior matches.
It was MPS’s second straight victory after they won over the San Beda-Manila Red Cubs, 108-64, last week.
National University prevailed over San Beda-B, 90-84, while La Salle Greenhills turned back San Beda-Rizal, 75-62.
Commissioner Robert de la Rosa said 30 varsity squads have signed up, with 12 teams seeing action in the senior division, while 18 others are in the junior division.