Mapúa University survived a 15-point collapse against Colegio de San Juan de Letran to escape with a 69-67 overtime victory and extend its winning streak to four games in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Monday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

After opening the season with three straight losses, the Cardinals have turned their campaign around with four consecutive victories, improving to 4-3 in Group A.

Mapúa also remains unbeaten in the crossover round.

“We led by 15, but they kept on coming back; that’s the spirit of Letran. But I’d like to give credit to the composure of the whole team, these rookies,” said Mapúa head coach Chito Victolero.

“Very happy, but ‘di pa dito natatapos ang lahat. We’re trying siguro na pag-aralan ‘yung mga mali namin,” he added.

Playing without star playmaker Titing Manalili, the Knights struggled to contain Mapúa’s early offensive outburst as the Cardinals controlled the game through the first three quarters.

The Battle of Intramuros heated up in the fourth quarter, however, as Letran mounted a furious comeback despite trailing by as many as 15 points in the third period.

After building their biggest lead of the game, the Cardinals went cold offensively, allowing the Knights to unleash a 15-0 run that began in the final three minutes of the third quarter and continued into the middle of the fourth.

Letran eventually grabbed its first lead of the game, 59-58, on Justin Cargo’s fastbreak layup with 3:25 remaining.

Justine Hugo then extended the Knights’ advantage to three points from the free-throw line with less than a minute left.

Ivan Lazarte stopped the bleeding with an and-one play, tying the game at 61-all with 50 seconds remaining.

Mapúa had a chance to reclaim the lead, but Lance Nitura’s jumper was blocked by Kevin Santos. The Knights, meanwhile, failed to convert on their final possession, sending the game into overtime.

Lance and Marcus Nitura took charge in the extra period, combining for seven points to give the Cardinals a 68-64 cushion.

Hugo kept Letran within striking distance with a tough layup that cut the deficit to two, 69-67, with 32 seconds remaining. However, the Knights failed to connect on a potential game-tying jumper as Mapúa held on for the victory.

The Cardinals secured their second consecutive overtime win after defeating Emilio Aguinaldo College, 89-84, on October 6.

“It’s character-building for us. I think ‘yung mga ganitong laro, it’s a big morale-booster for everyone and ‘yung maturity ng team ko,” Victolero added.

Five Cardinals finished with 11 points, led by Yam Concepcion, who recorded a double-double with 11 rebounds despite fouling out.

Lance Nitura, Jamal Diaz, Marc Cuenco, and Lazarte also scored 11 points apiece.

Mapúa will look to extend its winning streak when it faces the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA on Friday, October 16, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

Letran, meanwhile, absorbed its third loss of the season and dropped to 4-3 in Group B, where it is now tied with Arellano University.

Chad Gammad led all scorers with 18 points and four steals in the losing effort. Jimboy Estrada added 13 points and three steals, while Cargo chipped in 10 points and eight assists.

The Knights will look to bounce back against José Rizal University on Thursday, October 15, at the same venue.

The Scores:

Mapúa 69 – Concepcion 11, L. Nitura 11, Diaz 11, Cuenco 11, Lazarte 11, M. Nitura 6, Reyes 3, Igliane 2, Bernabe 2, Dones 1, Mendoza 0, Liwanag 0, Razon 0.

Letran 67 – Gammad 18, Estrada 13, Cargo 10, Montecillo 6, Santos 6, Walker 6, Hugo 4, Buensalida 4, Reyes 0.

Quarterscores: 20-15, 38-30, 53-49, 61-61, 69-67.

The post NCAA 102: Mapúa survives Letran rally in OT for fourth straight win appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

By: Joaquin Cortez

Exactly three weeks ago, Mapúa University found itself at the bottom of the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament standings. Now, the Cardinals have emerged as one of the league’s hottest teams, riding a four-game winning streak after a rocky start under returning head coach Chito Victolero.

Mapúa opened its campaign with three straight defeats, suffering one-point losses to Jose Rizal University and Lyceum of the Philippines University before absorbing an 82-77 setback against an injury-hit College of Saint Benilde.

However, the Cardinals have since turned their fortunes around, stringing together four consecutive victories to improve to a 4-3 record and remain unbeaten in the crossover round.

Victolero, who returned to his alma mater after 14 years following his stint as head coach of the Magnolia Hotshots in the PBA, admitted that he did not anticipate the turnaround. He stressed, however, that the team remains focused on establishing its identity rather than dwelling on its recent success.

“No,” the former PBA head coach said when asked if he expected the turnaround.

“We’re trying to have that identity na gusto namin. Itong win is a bonus; it’s a God’s win na nandito kami ngayon na we’re winning,” he said.

Mapúa’s resurgence began with a narrow 55-54 victory over defending champions San Beda University on September 28, with rookie Jamal Diaz delivering late-game heroics to help the Cardinals close the group phase on a high note.

The Cardinals carried that momentum into the crossover round, taking down Arellano University, 69-55, to hand the Chiefs their first loss of the season before outlasting Emilio Aguinaldo College, 89-84, in overtime.

Mapúa then escaped Colegio de San Juan de Letran in another overtime thriller on Monday, 69-67, overcoming the loss of a 15-point second-half lead to extend its winning streak to four games.

The Cardinals’ ability to survive close contests has also become a defining feature of their campaign, with six of their seven games decided by five points or fewer.

For Victolero, the early setbacks have become valuable learning experiences for a team adjusting to a new system and a changing roster.

“All the sacrifices and all the tough losses, we learned a lot from that. Lagi ko naman sinasabi sa kanila na there’s a reason kung bakit kami natalo sa mga ganong sitwasyon,” Victolero said.

“Panalo pa talo pa, and there’s always a reason why God teaches us how to win close games, how to execute, and how to stay positive on all the mistakes we commit during that stretch.”

With the departure of former star guard Clint Escamis, who helped lead Mapúa to the championship just two seasons ago, the Cardinals have entered a rebuilding phase while integrating young talents such as Diaz, Lance Nitura, and Ken Dones.

Victolero stressed that developing younger players while establishing a clear team identity remains central to the Cardinals’ progress. He emphasized that their goal is to become the league’s best defensive team.

“We’re trying to give opportunity to everyone, but of course, they know that our identity is that we want to be the best defensive team in the league,” he said.

The coach added that the team’s string of close games has accelerated its development, particularly in late-game situations, where composure and execution have become increasingly important.

“We are more composed right now during end-game situations. In the last two minutes, overtime, we are more composed. The players, sanay na sila,” he said.

Looking ahead, Victolero stressed that the Cardinals must continue to improve as the competition intensifies, treating their recent victories as stepping stones toward bigger challenges.

“Of course, the small things, ’yun ’yung nakukuha namin ngayon, ’yung maliliit na battles. The bigger battles would be in November. Sabi ko nga noon, ‘I want to be good in September, I want to be better in October, and I want to be great in November.’”

For a team that began the season with three straight losses, the turnaround has offered a glimpse of its potential. But with the bigger battles still ahead, Mapúa’s pursuit of another breakthrough remains far from over.

The post Chito Victolero challenges Mapúa to peak when November battles arrive appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.

Watoto Basketball Club will play in the National Basketball League next season after completing a remarkable comeback to defeat Berkley 3-2 in the Division One playoff semifinals.

Watoto sealed promotion with a hard-fought 54-51 victory in Sunday’s decisive Game Five at YMCA Court in Wandegeya, recovering from a 2-0 series deficit to win three consecutive games and book their place in the final.

Victor Aaron Makmot led the charge with 20 points, while Sydney David Walusimbi added 10 points and nine rebounds to inspire Watoto’s memorable turnaround.

Emmanuel Omara and Andrew Kirabo also made valuable contributions on the boards, recording 15 and 10 rebounds respectively as Watoto held their nerve in a tense encounter.

Berkley, who had taken early control of the series by winning the first two games, saw their campaign end in disappointment despite a strong individual performance from Emmanuel Opio.

Opio registered a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Richard Anyunva added 11 points, but the duo could not prevent Berkley from surrendering their advantage.

Watoto had looked well-positioned to force the series into a deciding stretch after taking a 29-24 lead into halftime on Sunday.

However, Berkley fought back in the second half, capitalising on Watoto’s 30 turnovers to make the contest go down to the wire.

Despite the pressure, Watoto did enough to secure the victory, completing one of the standout comebacks of the Division One playoffs and securing a return to the top flight.

KIU Titans await in final

Watoto will now face KIU Titans in the Division One final after the latter eliminated YMCA Hamstars in the other semifinal series.

Both teams have already secured promotion to the National Basketball League for the forthcoming season, with the final set to determine the Division One champions.

They will take the places of Kampala Rockets and UPDF Tomahawks, who were relegated from the top flight.

Meanwhile, Seeta High School and Kampala University Ladies have secured promotion to the women’s National Basketball League after their campaigns in the Division One competition.

The post Watoto rally from 2-0 down to book National Basketball League promotion appeared first on Kawowo Sports.