Martin San Diego | FCF
With their game washed out on a rainy night on October 10, Lyceum settled some unfinished business to end their NCAA Season 89 seniors basketball campaign.
The Pirates culminated their best-ever finish since joining the league, posting a 66-54 rout of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in the mid-day matinee matchup on Monday at The Arena in San Juan City.
The win gives the NCAA’s youngest member an 8-10 card, surpassing their seven-win total back in 2011, the same year they were admitted into the league.
Dexter Zamora scored 10 of his 21 points during the pivotal 4th quarter, where LPU held the Blazers scoreless in the final 5:29 of the game to complete a 22-5 overhaul from a five-point deficit after three quarters.
For LPU head coach Bonnie Tan, the win culminated a long learning process of learning from a string of suspensions of key players, with Zamora missing three games due to a league-mandated disciplinary action.
“Yung mga suspensions at injuries, doon kami natututo. Kung hindi iyon mangyayari (ngayon), kailan pa? Yung nangyari sa first round, nagkanda leche-leche ang rotation. Siguro naman na-learn na ang lesson namin,” said Tan, who steered the Pirates to three consecutive appearances in the Collegiate Champions League prior to their entry into the NCAA fold.
Cameroonian ulility man Aziz Issah Mbomiko added 12 points and 14 rebounds, while graduating forward Andrei Mendoza put up 10 points in 12 minutes for the Pirates.
Leading the pack for the Blazers was big man Robert Bartolo with 13 points, followed by Mark Romero and Jonathan Grey posting 12 points apiece to drop their penultimate game this season.
RELATED: Lyceum vs. Benilde game suspended due to heavy rains
