A DOMINANT performance from John Barba propelled the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates to a resounding 91-68 victory over the Letran Knights in the NCAA Season 100 on Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.
The triumph not only avenged the Pirates’ earlier 78-66 loss to the Knights, but also reignited their chances of securing a coveted spot in the Final Four.
Barba, the Pirates’ undisputed star, flirted with a triple-double, finishing the game with an impressive 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. His performance was instrumental in neutralizing Letran’s formidable defense and providing a spark for his team’s offensive onslaught.
With this victory, LPU improved their win-loss record to 5-5, placing them firmly within striking distance of the top four teams in the league.
“After ng first round nu’ng natalo kami sa Letran, nag-team building kami for three days sa LPU Cavite, du’n kami nag-prepare,” said Barba, the league-leader in points with an average of 19.78 a game.
“Bad start kami, ito na opportunity namin na bumawi, good thing nag-respond naman lahat,” he added.
It also helped that of their three injured main rotation guys, two have returned—John Bravo and Michael Versoza.
Bravo had 10 points and eight boards, while Versoza chipped in seven points.
Mcclaude Guadana remained out but he is expected to return in their next game versus reigning titlist San Beda Wednesday.
“Silang tatlo missing pieces sa LPU sa first round kaya naging ganun, bad start,” said Bravo.
The Knights fell to 6-4.
Meanwhile, King Gurtiza reigned supreme in the fourth quarter as he carried Emilio Aguinaldo College to a 78-70 victory over University of Perpetual Help.
Gurtiza sparked a series of blistering runs in the final canto where he poured in nine of his game-high 21 points as the Generals improved to 5-5, just game behind No. 4 Letran (6-4).
The Altas slipped to 4-6.
Games Saturday
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
11 a.m.- San Beda vs AU
2:30 p.m.- Mapua vs JRU
