Cards rout Altas for safe passage

Mapua started like a house on fire and went on to beat Perpetual Help, 80-72, yesterday to formalize its entry into the Final Four of the 77th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

With Steve Marucot and Jeffrey Martin showing the way, the Cardinals took an imposing 31-10 lead at the end of the first period on their way to an 8-5 record. The Altas bowed out with a 4-10 card, losing all their seven games in the second round.

With the victory, Mapua now joins Jose Rizal University and San Sebastian in the semis. The fourth and last slot remains a tossup among defending champion St. Benilde (7-6), Philippine Christian University (7-7) and Letran (6-7).

The Cardinals last made it to the Final Four in 1996 with a team bannered by Omanzie Rodriguez, a member of the national team now vying for the SEA Games gold in Kuala Lumpur. Mapua, however, lost to San Sebastian in the 1996 final.

In the other game, Jose Rizal tightened its grip on the top spot following an 81-75 victory over San Sebastian. The Heavy Bombers improved to 11-2 while the Stags, last year’s losing finalists, slipped into a tie with the Cardinals.

Ernani Epondulan, the league’s top scorer, scattered 25 points as the Heavy Bombers denied their opponents the inside track on the No. 2 spot in the semis where the top two teams will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage.