Cunanan, Valdez star as Pirates defuse Bombers in OT

Games Wednesday
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)

2 p.m. – Letran vs UPHSD
4 p.m. – CSB vs Mapua

MANILA, Philippines – Vince Cunanan and Enoch Valdez took charge in overtime as Lyceum of the Philippines University got back at first-round tormentor Jose Rizal University, 99-96, Tuesday in NCAA Season 99 at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

Cunanan and Valdez sparked the run when they combined for 11 points, which turned a six-point deficit in OT into the Pirates halting a three-game skid and snaring their seventh win that catapulted them back to No. 3 and in strong Final Four contention.

“The boys just refused to give up,” said LPU coach Gilbert Malabanan.

LPU surely didn’t, as it not only battled back in the extra period, it also overhauled an 11-point deficit early and a nine-point disadvantage with less than five minutes to go in regulation.

And it was because of multiple heroes from LPU headed by the dynamic Cunanan-Valdez duo.

Both had fantastic all-around efforts with Cunanan finishing with 20 points, nine assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block and Valdez ending up with 14 markers, eight dimes, four caroms and the same number of swipes.

The win came exactly a week after LPU absorbed an excruciatingly painful 88-87 double OT defeat to JRU in their opening round showdown.

But on this one, the Pirates had nothing but vengeance on their mind.

It looked like though that the Bombers were on their way to repeating over their rivals after opening the extra five-minute period with a 6-0 blitz that included five points from Agem Miranda.

Enter Cunanan and Valdez, who dropped the hammer that broke the Bombers’ backs and sent the latter screeching to their fourth setback against six wins.

The scores:

LPU 99 – Cunanan 20, Valdez 14, Montano 14, Umali 13, Barba 12, Bravo 10, Penafiel 5, Villegas 4, Omandac 3, Aviles 2, Culanay 2, Fuentes 0, Versoza 0

JRU 96 – Guiab 21, Miranda 19, Delos Santos 14, Argente 10, Sarmiento 8, Dionisio 6, Medina 6, Pabico 6, Sy 3, Arenal 2, dela Rosa 1, De Leon 0, Ramos 0, Mosqueda 0

Quarterscores: 28-23; 54-53; 71-72; 87-all (OT); 99-96