Chiefs post 3rd win in row, rout Pirates

MANILA, Philippines - Arellano U used its vaunted running game to overpower Lyceum of the Philippines U, 97-83, yesterday and seize solo third while Mapua stunned Jose Rizal U, 68-67, to bolster its semifinal bid in the 91st NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

Jio Jalalon slowed down with an 18-point, five-assist and four-rebound production after a triple-double feat against Perpetual Help last Friday but that proved enough to power the Chiefs to their third straight win and ninth overall against four defeats behind joint leaders Letran and San Beda (10-2).

With Jalalon on the firing end, the Chiefs went on attack mode early, built double-digit spreads and were never threatened by the listless Pirates, who fell to 3-10 and bowed out of the Final Four race.

Earlier, Mark Brana completed a three-point play on a putback off John Pontejos in the last 5.9 seconds as Mapua snatched a come-from-behind victory over JRU to move up to fifth place.

Brana took CJ Isit’s airball from beyond the arc then scored and drew a foul from Pontejos to tie the count at 67 before canning in the pressure-packed marginal free throw.

The Bombers actually had a chance to steal the win but John Grospe misfired from the right flank at the buzzer.

“He made the biggest play of this game,” said Mapua coach Atoy Co of Brana, who wound up with 12 points and eight rebounds in a big follow-up to his 10- point, 10-rebound effort in a shock 70-65 win over Perpetual Help last week.

It was the surging Cardinals’ third straight win, their longest in a long, long while, and seventh overall against five defeats, moving just a game behind the No. 4 Altas (8-4).

While Brana took charge at endgame, Nigerian Allwell Oraeme kept the Cardinals in the game and finished with 19 points and a game-high 27 rebounds.

The win also atoned for Mapua’s first round setback to JRU where the Cardinals blew an 18-point fourth quarter lead and lost by three, 87-90, last Aug. 11.

The game also marked the return of Isit, who missed four games with a dislocated elbow in a 76-64 victory over St. Benilde last July.

“His timing is still off but he’s getting there,” said Co of Isit.

The loss dropped the Bombers to No. 6 with a 6-6 mark.

In juniors’ action, Mapua slammed JRU, 83-62, to improve to 11-1 while Arellano smashed Lyceum of the Philippines University, 100-77, for a 9-4 mark.