San Beda University moved closer to securing a twice-to-beat advantage in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament quarterfinals after fending off a late rally from Lyceum of the Philippines University, 71-65, on Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

The defending champions extended their winning streak to four games, improving to a 9-3 record and drawing level with José Rizal University at the top of Group A to remain firmly in contention for the crucial quarterfinal incentive.

The Red Lions also now hold the longest active winning streak in the league.

“I think in the fourth quarter, we displayed our identity in our defense and our rebounding. The game is all about possession, so it’s still about being able to stick together as a team and close out and get that win,” said Dan Marcelo, who finished with a season-high 22 points.

Despite entering the second half trailing, San Beda fought its way back, pulling even at 36-all behind Bismarck Lina before Marcelo and Aldous Torculas sparked a 13-2 run to seize a 49-38 lead.

Lyceum refused to back down, but Torculas’ free throws helped the Red Lions maintain a 53-47 advantage heading into the final quarter.

San Beda stretched its lead to double digits in the fourth before back-to-back triples from Khen Caduyac brought the Pirates within striking distance, 65-60, with 2:41 remaining.

Mclaude Guadaña further trimmed the deficit to just two points, 67-65, with a clutch triple down the stretch, putting the defending champions under pressure.

However, Zed Etulle sank a free throw to restore a two-possession cushion. Andrei Ugaddan and Etulle then each split their trips to the charity stripe to give San Beda a 70-65 lead, forcing Lyceum to foul in the closing seconds.

Kyle Jamora sealed the victory at the free-throw line as the Red Lions survived the Pirates’ late rally to claim their fourth consecutive win.

“We had a sluggish first half, so that led to me hitting shots and being able to facilitate, get my teammates open shots. Just being able to do the little things that our team needed,” Marcelo added, after also tallying six assists and four steals.

Torculas contributed 17 points and nine rebounds for San Beda, while Lina chipped in nine points and 14 rebounds.

San Beda will close out the elimination round with a rematch against College of Saint Benilde on November 10 at the same venue, where it will look to formalize its bid for the twice-to-beat advantage.

Meanwhile, Lyceum, which had already secured a place in the play-in round, dropped to 4-7 and saw its hopes of claiming a twice-to-beat advantage disappear. The Pirates are now locked into fifth place regardless of the outcome of their final elimination-round assignment.

Matthew Rubico paced LPU with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, along with five assists, while Jonathan Daileg added 11 points in the losing effort.

The Pirates will wrap up their campaign against their eventual play-in opponents, Mapúa University, on November 9 at the PhilSports Arena.

The Scores:

San Beda 71 — Marcelo 22, Torculas 17, Lina 9, Puno 8, Jamora 4, Etulle 4, Ugaddan 3, Calimag 3, Sarigumba 1, Bonzalida 0, Reyes 0, Estacio 0, Jalbuena 0, Efron 0, Hawkins 0.

Lyceum 65 — Rubico 14, Daileg 11, Guadaña 9, Ondoa 7, Caduyac 6, Villegas 6, Matienzo 4, Peñafiel 3, Fuentes 3, Manuel 2, Aurigue 0, Panelo 0, Pallingayan 0, Cardinas 0, Nocum 0.

Quarterscores: 20-9, 31-33, 53-47, 71-65.

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By: Joaquin Cortez

Jose Rizal University climbed to the top of the Group of Death standings after withstanding Mapúa University, 71-58, in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

With the victory, the Heavy Bombers overtook defending champion San Beda University and College of Saint Benilde to claim sole possession of first place in Group A with a 9-3 record. The win also secured JRU at least a quarterfinals berth with one game remaining, while ensuring that the three teams occupied the top three spots in the standings.

Meanwhile, Mapúa dropped to 6-6 and will have to secure its quarterfinals berth through the play-in round.

The first three quarters saw both teams trade leads before JRU finally broke away in the fourth, unleashing a decisive 15-3 run.

Lawrence Mangubat sparked the surge by completing a four-point play, giving the Heavy Bombers some breathing room at 56-52.

After Yam Concepcion stole an inbound pass from Mangubat, the Cardinals forward hesitated in the paint and committed a costly turnover of his own, allowing Jahmir Eligado to finish a fast-break layup and extend JRU’s lead to 59-52.

Mapúa continued to struggle down the stretch as Ivan Panapanaan capped the run with a putback off Sean Salvador’s missed attempt, pushing the Heavy Bombers’ advantage to 63-52 with just over five minutes remaining.

JRU then put the finishing touches on its victory after another costly Mapúa turnover led to Jhillian Palis drilling a midrange jumper with 46 seconds left to give the Heavy Bombers their biggest lead of the game, 71-55.

JRU will look to secure the top spot in the Group A standings when it faces College of Saint Benilde on Friday, November 6, at 5:00 p.m. at the same venue.

Meanwhile, Mapúa will try to end the round on a positive note against Lyceum of the Philippines University on Monday, November 9, at 3:00 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

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Leaving a team he loves was never going to be easy for Moses Okwera, but the Watoto coach believes his calling in basketball lies in developing young talent.

Fresh from guiding Watoto Basketball Club to the 2026 FUBA Division One Championship and promotion to the National Basketball League (NBL), Okwera has confirmed he will leave Rezlife Saints to concentrate on the Watoto project.

For him, the decision goes beyond winning trophies. It is about staying close to the work he enjoys most, coaching and nurturing young players.

“I’ve won the championship with Watoto and, to be honest, I’m a development coach. I like coaching the youth,” Okwera told 2bobSports.

“So, next season I’ll be sticking with the Watoto boys. It’s very sad for me to leave Rezlife right now. I’m feeling so bad.”

The coach admitted that walking away from Rezlife was painful, but felt it was a decision he had to make as he prepares to take Watoto into the top flight.

“But it’s a decision that I have to make. So, I’ll stay with Watoto. But thankfully, Coach Mike is there,” he added.

Okwera also made sure to recognise the people who welcomed and supported him during his two-season spell at Rez Life, thanking the club’s management, Pastor Amy and the players.

“I want to thank the management of Rez Life. Pastor Amy and all the players. I wish them all the best.

“I love them and I’ll keep praying for them.”

Okwera joined Rez Life in 2025 after the club secured promotion to the NBL. His departure, confirmed in November 2026, ends his two-year association with the Saints.

Michael Seger, popularly known as Coach Mike, is among the familiar faces in the Rez Life coaching setup. The American worked alongside Okwera during the club’s 2026 campaign before joining a Burundi side’s technical team in October as an assistant to Elvis Hakizimana for the Road to BAL 2027.

Okwera leaves Rezlife with his attention firmly on the challenge ahead at Watoto.

Watoto finished second in the Division One regular season but had to dig deep to earn their place in the final. They fell 2-0 behind Berkley in the semi-finals before fighting back to win the series 3-2.

They carried that determination into the final against KIU Titans, eventually winning the series 4-2 after Game Six to lift the championship.

Reaching the final had already secured Watoto promotion to the NBL, but winning the title gave the club an even bigger reward for its seven-year journey through the lower divisions.

For Okwera, the next task is to prepare the team for a new level of competition while continuing the youth development work that has shaped his coaching career.

His commitment to nurturing young talent also extends beyond club basketball. He has worked with the Inner City Action and Youth Development Agency (iCaare), leading a team of coaches at a free basketball training camp aimed at giving youngsters who cannot afford expensive academies access to quality training.

He has also served as a national youth team coach and works as a basketball coach at Kampala International School Uganda (KISU).

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