San Beda sweeps first round after late breakaway against Mapua

Three-time defending champions San Beda scrapped their way into a first-round sweep of the 95th season of the NCAA Basketball Championship after getting past old rival Mapua, 69-60 Friday afternoon at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City. 

The Red Lions got into a dogfight with the Cardinals for most of the encounter, before a late burst in the final frame gave them their opening round whitewash for the first time since their memorable 2010 squad that won all eighteen games for the title.

It also inched closer to tying their own league record streak, in which they are just three wins shy of matching their mark of 26 consecutive wins in 2011, thanks to their solid bench mob.

Calvin Oftana outperformed Mapua's reserves all by himself, in which he put up a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds in just almost 28 minutes. For the record, the Cardinals had a total of 18 bench points.

James Canlas and Donald Tankoua each had ten markers for the champions, who bucked Evan Nelle's sluggish outing.

San Beda shot almost 43% from the field, including 9/23 from beyond the arc despite being outrebounded by three (10 in the offensive end).

Oftana took over in the pay-off period as he scored 10 points for the Red Lions to pull away by erecting an 11-point lead in the dying moments of the game.

The scores: 

SAN BEDA 69 -- Oftana 24, Canlas 10, Tankoua 10, Abuda 7, Bahio 5, Carino 4, Nelle 3, Doliguez 3, Soberano 3, Etrata 0, Alfaro 0, Noah 0

MAPUA 60 -- Hernandez 16, Lugo 13, Gonzales 11, Bonifacio 7, Bunag 4, Gamboa 4, Victoria 2, Serrano 2, Salenga 1, Jabel 0

Quarter scores 16-16, 30-28, 49-45, 69-60