Eligado, Mangubat Spark JRU’s Bounce-Back Win Over Pirates

Jose Rizal University bounced back in strong fashion in NCAA Season 102, unleashing a dominant 94-69 rout over Lyceum of the Philippines University on Tuesday at the Playtime Filoil Centre in San Juan.

Coming off a tough 65-62 loss to San Beda, the Heavy Bombers responded to Head Coach Nani Epondulan's call for resilience, improving their record to 3-1 for a share of the Group A lead.

Jahmir Eligado delivered a monster performance inside, battering the Pirates' frontline with a double-double of 22 points and 16 rebounds on a perfect 10-of-10 shooting from the field.

 Right alongside him was Lawrence Mangubat, who went unstoppable with 23 points—highlighted by a flawless 10-of-10 clip from the free-throw line—to go with five rebounds and five assists.

"We knew that this game will be a test of character sa amin kung paano kami mag-bounce back sa tough loss laban sa San Beda. Alam din naman namin na 'yung LPU, hindi ilalatag sa silver platter sa amin 'yung panalo, so masaya ako na nag-perform sila," shared Coach Nani Epondulan during the post-game press conference.

Eligado’s presence was felt early, scoring crucial buckets during JRU's 28-point second-quarter surge that turned a tight game into a 53-35 halftime lead. The Heavy Bombers eventually stretched the advantage to as high as 34 points.

For Eligado, stepping up to lead the frontcourt was a matter of preparation and fulfilling his role.

"Syempre thankful ako na binibigyan ako ng minuto ni Coach Nani, and 'yung tiwala din ng mga teammates ko sa akin. Tinatrabaho lang namin 'yung role namin," Eligado expressed.

"Nung magsimula kasi nung preseason, naramdaman ko na 'yung physicality and aggressiveness ng ibang mga bigs dito sa NCAA... Pinaghahandaan ko talaga na kailangan ko talagang kumuha ng rebound and to crush the boards lagi."

JRU ruled the boards, 47 to 27, translating to 20 second-chance points while also hitting 8-of-16 from beyond the arc. Chris Hubilla added nine points and six boards, while Jalen Garcia and Sanlea Peñaverde scored eight points apiece.

Coach Nani also lauded the depth and growing maturity of his squad, highlighting the return of team captain Ivan Panapanaan from injury, alongside mainstays like Chris Hubilla.

"With those guys—Lawrence, Chris, and Ivan—with the help of Jahmir, sila 'yung foundation nung team namin," Epondulan noted.

Roger Ondoa paced LPU in the loss with 21 points and four rebounds as the Pirates remained winless.

JRU now shifts its sights to its next scheduled matchup against Arellano University.

"It depends on game preparation and condition of the players," Epondulan added. "I'm just trying to keep my players healthy first, watch game film, and take it possession by possession."

The Scores:

JRU 94 – Mangubat 23, Eligado 22, Hubilla 9, Peñaverde 8, Garcia 8, Salvador 6, Garupil 5, Herrera 3, Palis 3, Duque 3, Masiglat 2, Panapanaan 2, Bagro 0, Mejia 0.

LPU 69 – Ondoa 21, Peñafiel 12, Rubico 9, Matienzo 6, Daileg 6, Pallingayan 4, Manuel 4, Fuentes 3, Aurigue 3, Nocum 1, Guadaña 0, Aviles 0, Cardinas 0, Panelo 0.

Photo Credits: NCAA Philippines Media