Jonathan Daileg coolly sank the game-winning free throw with just one second left on the clock, lifting the Lyceum Pirates to a thrilling 78-76 victory over the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Heavy Bombers on Tuesday in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament at the FilOil Arena.
The 23-year-old Daileg finished with 11 points, none bigger than his final charity that sealed Lyceum’s first win after a five-game slump.
Daileg’s clutch moment came right after JRU’s Shawn Argente nailed a three-pointer in the last three seconds to tie the game and set up the nail-biting finish.
John Barba led the Pirates with 15 points, while Argente carried the scoring load for the Heavy Bombers with a game-high 26 markers.
In the juniors’ division, the JRU Light Bombers turned to the late-game heroics of Datu Usop and Prince Mallorca to outlast the Lyceum Junior Pirates, 74-70, improving their record to 3-4.
Usop sparked the rally with an 18-point performance, including a clutch triple that gave the Light Bombers a 71-70 edge with 1:21 left. After the Junior Pirates missed two crucial chances to regain the lead, Mallorca hit a jumper and split his free throws in the closing seconds to secure the victory.
