Penuela, Kwekuteye star as San Beda lives another day (Sabong News)
Author
Reynald I. Magallon
Date
MAY 08 2022
Ralph Penuela and James Kwekuteye provided the spark as San Beda outlasted Mapua in overtime, 73-67, to escape elimination in the NCAA Season 97 on Sunday, May 8 at the FilOil Flying V Arena.
The Red Lions battled back from 10 points down in the final seven minutes of regulation before clamping down on both ends of the floor in the extra period to force a winner-take-all on Wednesday.
It was Penuela who sent the game to overtime after making the put back off a Kwekuteye miss to tie the game 60-all with 2.8 seconds left. San Beda then made sure to not waste the opportunity and extend their tournament lives as Kwekuteye, Penuela and Peter Alfaro conspired in the final minutes to take the victory.
Kwekuteye, despite nursing an ankle injury, finished with 17 points and four assists without a single turnover in 23 minutes of play while Penuela and Jacob Cortez added 13 markers apiece.
“Sa players ko kung gusto talaga nila manalo mananalo sila kasi sila naman naglalaro sa loob. We just guide them where to go tell them what to do. I’m happy that they executed really well in the fourth quarter in the last seven minutes,” said San Beda head coach Boyet Fernandez.
After that, ‘nung nag overtime, I just told them ‘hey they gave us a chance don’t lose this chance’ kasi minsan lang ito mapunta sa atin eh,” he added.
San Beda indeed made the most of the opportunity in the waning minutes after Mapua failed to close out the game despite having multiple chances in the regulation.
The Cardinals led by a pair of 10-point leads early in the final frame – the last one at 48-38 after a Warren Bonifacio tip-in. That’s when San Beda embarked on a 14-4 blast which tied the game at 52-all after the free throws from Kwekuteye.
It was a see-saw affair from that point although Mapua still held the lead, 59-58, with 30 seconds left after a Bonifacio jumper. The Cardinals had the chance to ice the game with Brian Lacap on the charity stripe with 8.4 seconds left but he split his free throws, giving the Red Lions a window to tie the game.
Bonifacio paced Mapua with 18 points while Paolo Hernandez who was the catalyst of the Cardinals’ third quarter run finished with 14 points.
The Scores:
San Beda (73) — Kwekuteye 17, Cortez 13, Penuela 13, Bahio 9, Alfaro 9, Cometa 3, Jopia 2, Sanchez 2, Abuda 2, Amsali 2, Gallego 1, Cuntapay 0, Andrada 0, Fornis 0, Ynot 0.
Mapua (67) — Bonifacio 18, Hernandez 14, Lacap 12, Nocum 9, Agustin 5, Salenga 4. Gamboa 4, Garcia 1, Pido 0, Asuncion 0, Mercado 0. Quarterscores: 6-12, 25-25, 33-41, 60-60, 73-67
