Martin San Diego | FCF
In the continuation of the NCAA Season 89’s seniors basketball action on Thursday night at The Arena in San Juan City, Lyceum of the Philippines brings down yet another squad they have never defeated in their three-year stay in the country’s oldest inter-collegiate athletic league. 
LPU continues to play the spoiler’s role, as they downed league-leading Letran College in a scintillating finish, 80-76, in the day’s featured matchup.
Aziz Issah Mbomiko starred in the late-game comeback to finish with 17 of his 22 points during the final 20 minutes to lead the charge for the Pirates. Dexter Zamora, who is fresh off his three-game suspension, added 18 points and four assists in the contest.
But the biggest shots of the match came from first-year man Jeremiah Taladua, who scored the game-deciding baskets in the dying seconds of the match for his five points, together with the crucial steal that led to his go-ahead three pointer with 18.1 seconds on the clock.
“For this season, we’ve beaten all of the teams we have never beaten since joining the NCAA,” noted LPU head coach Bonnie Tan.
But for the Pirates’ veteran mentor, the win became much more sweeter as he remembered the bitter finish to their campaign last season, where four of his top players were removed from the lineup.
“I can’t forget when we also played against Letran in the second round (last season), when I wasn’t able to return in the second half (of the game). That was last year, also on a Thursday. The team has undergone a huge transformation since last season, and I would like to thank the players for sacrificing a lot for the changes in the program,” recalled Tan in Filipino.
Stepping up for league-leading Letran (9-2) was Raymond Almazan, who scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and swatted away three shots.
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Martin San Diego | FCF
In the doubleheader’s late afternoon opener, San Sebastian College ended their mid-season slide against a red-hot Emilio Aguinaldo College five in a second-half rout, 90-69.
Led by the backcourt tandem of Jamil Ortuoste and Jovit Dela Cruz, the Stags (5-5) finally punctuated their three-game losing run since the return of head coach Topex Robinson from a scouting trip in the United States.
Both guards led the way as the rookie Ortuoste finished with 27 points, while Dela Cruz added a NCAA career-high output of 25 points with 11 rebounds and five assists.
Head coach Topex Robinson was happy due to Ortuoste’s return to form after being sidelined prior to their loss against San Beda late in the first round after suffering a severe ankle sprain days prior to the match, but he spread the praise for the victory to the rest of his team.
“I’m happy that Jamil (Ortuoste) is back, but it’s all 15 guys that really helped the team. It’s not just Jamil, but the rest of the guys there,” noted the second-year San Sebastian mentor.
Due to the defensive intensity in full force, as seen in their season-best total of 14 blocks in the contest, the Stags’ offensive prowess followed.
“We told them that our defense will help our offense,” added Robinson. “The reason we really committed on our second chance and turnover points is because of our stops, that’s where we generated our points.”
Cameroonian pivot man Cedric Noube Happi stood tall for the Generals (4-6), who lost their first match in their last four outings, with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
