Cards toy with Blazers

Mapua pounced on an Al Magpayo-less St. Benilde squad and cruised to an 83-63 romp yesterday to boost its bid in the 79th NCAA basketball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Cardinals held the Blazers to just 30 points in the first half while scoring 44 points of their own then held sway in the last two quarters to seal their fourth win in six games and close in on the pacesetting Jose Rizal Bombers (4-1).

"What we lacked in offense, we made up for defense," said Mapua coach Horacio Lim. "But it also helped that Al Magpayo was not around."

Magpayo, half of the Blazers’ power-playing frontline tandem — the other being Ronald Capati — served a one-game suspension for his unsportsmanlike conduct when his team lost to San Beda last Friday.

Without him, St. Benilde, the runner-up here last year, struggled offensively with the Blazers falling prey to the Cardinals’ suffocating defense that saw the latter roar to an early 22-10 lead.

Jofferson Gonzales led Mapua’s attack with 18 points but it was the triumvirate of Nat Cruz, Jeff Martin and skipper Christian Guevarra who keyed the run by combining for 18 points in the opening period that set the tone for the rout.

Martin tossed in 15 points while Cruz and Guevarra chipped in 10 points apiece for the Cardinals, who also drew 13 points from the 6-foot-5 Raymund Dula.

With Magpayo, one of the league’s top forwards, watching helplessly from the sidelines, Capati tried to do it all for the Blazers but could just churn out a 19-point game as the rest failed to step up.

St. Benilde reeled to its sixth straight loss.

In the other game, San Beda turned back defending champion San Sebastian, 80-69, to join Mapua at second spot.

Jerome Paterno exploded with 29 points to power the Red Lions past the Stags, who fell to 3-3.