Lyceum of the Philippines University unleashed a fourth quarter flurry as it erased a 12-point deficit and snatched a 97-92 victory over Jose Rizal University on Sunday to claim its first win in NCAA Season 100 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.
Trailing, 83-71, with a little over seven minutes left, the troika of John Barba, skipper Vince Cunanan and Mclaude Guadana connived in sparking the decisive fight back in the final period when the Pirates outscored the Bombers, 36-20.
The trio accounted for 29 of those points that proved critical in completing LPU’s resurrection.
John Barba ended up with a career-high-tying 28 points, while Cunanan and Guadana wound up scattering 20 and 17 points, respectively, in powering the season host to its first win after two sputtering starts.
It was, in contrast, a heartbreaking ending for the Bombers, who appeared in control for most part of the game.
In fact, the dribblers from Kalentong even led by as much as 13 points and at one point, 12, in the last canto.
That was until the Pirates came out of nowhere to pillage the last remaining hopes from the Bombers, who fell to their third straight defeat.
Jonathan Medina and captain Joshua Guiab were the biggest reasons JRU got off to a strong start and were in control by firing 22 and 20 points.
But it went to waste as JRU just didn’t have an answer to LPU’s late, last-gasp surge.
