THE Lyceum Pirates refused to give up on their semifinal hopes in the 101st National Collegiate Association men’s basketball tournament.
The Pirates showed their hunger in the final stretches, overpowering the San Sebastian Stags, 70-63, in the play-ins on Tuesday at the FilOil Arena in San Juan.
“Three years kaming nasa Final Four. I told them, I want you to show them (Stags) in our game that we were contenders in the past,” said Pirates’ coach Gilbert Malabanan to his team, made up of seven graduating players.
Veteran John Barba hit 22 points for the Pirates, who advanced to the quarterfinals, where they will face the twice-to-beat San Beda Red Lions on Thursday.
Under the new competition format, Malabanan is hopeful that the Pirates will survive the Red Lions and reach the best-of-three semifinals.
Making adjustments without injured big man Lance Aurigue, 6’4” Jonathan Daileg effectively filled up the power forward spot held and unloaded 14 points and seven rebounds.
Daileg’s presence allowed the Pirates to hold down the Stags to just five points in the third period. It was also Daileg’s trey which broke the last tie and put them ahead, with 1:06 left, 50-47.
“We had a bad start. Ang importante is how you finish,” added Malabanan.
Barba’s split charity and Daileg’s trey with 75 ticks left saw the Pirates moving out of range, 66-60.
Renz Villegas, who also shot 14, made seven in the last period, with his two charities with six seconds left, handing the Pirates a seven-point edge when the game ended.
In junior action, Khaizer Castillo nailed 23 points for the San Sebastian Staglets to defeat the Lyceum Junior Pirates.
The win put the Staglets in the quarterfinals with the Emilio Aguinaldo College Brigadiers.
