Lyceum ended a four-game slump in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament, while TNT Tropang 5G marked the return of import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson with a dominant performance in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup on Tuesday, October 13.
The Pirates pulled away in the closing minutes to beat the Perpetual Altas, 98-89, while TNT overwhelmed an undermanned Macau Giant Pandas, 142-87, for a 55-point blowout.
Lyceum pulls away late against Perpetual
Lyceum broke a 75-all tie midway through the fourth quarter by launching a pivotal 15-5 run. Lance Aurige capped the surge with a fastbreak layup, giving the Pirates a 90-80 cushion with just 1:27 left on the clock.
Perpetual tried to make a late push, with Mark Gojo Cruz and LA Casinillo each sinking two three-pointers to bring the Altas within six points at 95-89. However, the rally came too late to prevent Perpetual from suffering its fourth straight loss.
Matthew Rubico paced Lyceum with 21 points, shooting five-of-six from three-point range. He also collected seven rebounds and four assists. Renz Villegas supplied 19 points, Jonathan Daileg scored 18, while Mclaude Guadaña and Roger Ondoa contributed 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Rubico credited the team’s collective performance for the much-needed victory.
“Nakuha namin ‘yong game na ‘to, ‘di dahil sa’kin [lang]. It was a collective effort. Ilan din ‘yong nag double digits samin, nagstep up ‘yong mga kailangan magstep up,” said Rubico. “Mahirap pag nagtatalo kaya kailangan namin trabahuhin ‘to.”
Ray Maglupay led Perpetual with 19 points, followed by Angelo Gelsano with 18. Casinillo added 17 points, while Gojo Cruz finished with 13.
The result moved Lyceum to a 2-5 record in Group A. Perpetual also dropped to 2-5 in Group B, leaving the Altas tied with Emilio Aguinaldo College at the bottom of the standings.
Lyceum is scheduled to meet winless San Sebastian, which holds a 0-7 record, on Friday, October 16, at the same venue. Perpetual, meanwhile, will try to halt its slide when it takes on Mapua.
TNT crushes Macau as Hollis-Jefferson returns
TNT made a powerful statement in Hollis-Jefferson’s comeback, dismantling Macau by 55 points in a performance that came close to matching the PBA’s record for the widest winning margin.
The Tropang 5G’s 142-87 victory fell five points short of the league’s 60-point record, which NLEX set against the same Macau team the previous week. However, PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III said the result was the largest winning margin in TNT franchise history.
Calvin Oftana led TNT’s scoring with 28 points, while Hollis-Jefferson made an immediate impact in his first PBA appearance since Game 7 of last season’s Governors’ Cup Finals, finishing with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists.
The TNT reinforcement had been out of action after suffering an injury while playing for the Meralco Bolts in the East Asia Super League in December last year.
Jio Jalalon also stood out off the bench, posting a triple-double of 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Jordan Heading and Henry Galinato chipped in 11 points each, while JP Erram marked his own return with 15 points and eight rebounds.
The commanding win raised TNT’s record to 7-4 in the Governors’ Cup, giving the team added momentum with Hollis-Jefferson back in the lineup.