Cardinals rout Pirates to get spot in NCAA quarterfinals

MANILA, Philippines — Mapua University demolished Lyceum of the Philippines University, 83-68, in the play-in round of the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament to secure a quarterfinals berth on Thursday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City. Mapua finished the preliminary round with a 6-6 record in Group A and carried the twice-to-beat bonus in the play-in round. Lyceum, on the other hand, finished at the bottom of the group standings with a 4-8 and will head to an early vacation after the loss. Mapua, however, needs to beat Colegio de San Juan de Letran twice in the quarterfinals in order to book a semifinals seat. The Cardinals won over the Knights during the crossover round, 69-67, last Oct. 12. On Thursday, Ivan Lazarte scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Cardinals past the hapless Pirates. “No time to relax, no time to celebrate; we are focused on the next round,” said Lazarte, who shot 90 percent from the field in the game. Russel Liwanag, Cyrus Cuenco, and Jamal Diaz added 15, 13, and 11 points, respectively. Graduating Lyceum players McClaude Guadaña and Renz Villegas, meanwhile, were seen teary eyed after the match as they concluded their collegiate basketball career with 15 and 12...