Stags firm up semis bid; Cards stay alive

San Sebastian sustained its hot streak, assuring itself of a crack at the playoff for an NCAA Final Four berth with a 58-51 drubbing of St. Benilde at the Astrodome yesterday.

Froilan Saquillo paced his team with 11 points as the Stags scored an eighth straight win and ninth in 13 games overall to move up to second place behind idle front-runners the San Beda Lions (9-3).

Earlier, Mapua Tech used a stifling full-court press to surprise Letran, 69-52, and keep its Final Four hopes alive.

“We put the pressure on their backcourt and they had a hard time bringing down the ball ,” said Mapua Tech coach Leo Isaac.

Ian Mazo fired 20 points while rookie Allan Mangahas and sophomore Jonathan Banal added 18 and 13, respectively, as the Cardinals notched their seventh win against five losses.

Reigning MVP Kelvin dela Peña scored only five points but made game highs 11 rebounds, seven assists and four steals as they foiled the Knights’ bid for outright Final Four entry.

The Cardinals built a 67-38 lead and completed the win though scoring only two points in the fourth quarter.

“We slowed down the pace in the fourth quarter after leading by as many as 29,” said Isaac.

Letran’s output was its lowest since absorbing a 44-54 beating at the hands of San Beda two years ago.