Stags snatch victory from Pirates’ grasp
Rafael Are
San Sebastian is making people take notice. The Stags backcourt has caught a lot of attention, too.
Rafael Are nearly had a triple-double and the Stags rallied from 10 points down in the stretch to slip past Lyceum, 95-93, in Wednesday’s NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball thriller at San Juan Arena.
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The Stags scored the last 12 points of the game to preserve the heroics of Are, who finished with 23 points, a career-best 13 assists and eight rebounds to help San Sebastian to a 2-0 (win-loss) record.
Are is coming off a stellar performance against Letran, where he had 30 points, six rebounds and six assists to lead San Sebastian to a 91-84 triumph.
Lyceum dropped to 0-2.
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Raymart Escobido also exploded for 23 points as the backcourt duo provided the bulk of the scoring for the Stags. Tristan Felebrico also registered a double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds.
Mapua, meanwhile, turned back Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC), 69-66, behind rookie Lawrence Mangubat in the other game.
“I have to thank my coaches and all my teammates for giving me such confidence. I just did my role,” Mangubat said. “I really put in extra work with my shot and it just showed … today.”
Mangubat finished with 15 points, all of them coming from behind the three-point line, where he went 5-of-11 (45.5).
JC Recto and Clint Escamis helped the cause with 12 and 10 points, respectively, as Mapua bounced back from an opening loss to level its record to 1-1 in a tie with EAC. INQ
