Altas shuffle Cards; Chiefs raid Pirates

MANILA, Philippines - Perpetual Help overpowered a hapless Mapua side, 91-57, while Arellano University smothered Lyceum, 93-80, yesterday to join opening day winners San Beda and San Sebastian in the 90th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

Earl Scottie Thompson erupted for 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including two triples, and completed a splendid double-double job with 16 rebounds. He also dished off six assists and had two steals and the same number of blocks for the Altas, tipped as one of the league’s title contenders.

“I just want to make up for last year,” said Thompson, who had an on-and-off stint last season due to a slipped disk injury he suffered two years ago.

Coach Aric del Rosario also drew an explosive game from Juneric Baloria, who sizzled for 26 points. Baloria earlier shot 41 markers against La Salle in the pre-season tournament.

“I always talked to them (Thompson and Baloria) and give them advice. I’m happy they came out with these kind of games,” said Del Rosario.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, rebounded from a poor first half stint with a dominating performance in the last 20 minutes, outscoring the Pirates, 56-39, to win pulling away.

John Pinto fired 20 points for Lyceum, which trailed in the first two quarters, 16-21, 37-41, but came out an organized lot at the break to wrest control, 65-58.

Perpetual Help’s 34-point rout over Mapua was the league’s biggest winning margin since the San Beda blasted Emilio Aguinaldo College, 118-64, three years ago.

It was so lopsided that Thompson and Baloria’s combined 53 points were four points shy of matching the Cardinals’ total output.

Del Rosario also hopes his wards could sustain their smashing start as they bid for a third straight Final Four appearance in the country’s oldest varsity league.

“We’ve been in the Final Four the last two seasons so we’re hoping to better it this year,” said Del Rosario.

Mapua, which wound up last with a 2-16 (win-loss) record last season, got 16 points from Joseph Eriobu and 14 markers from Andrew Estrella’s 14 points but the Cardinals had no answer for the explosive tandem of Thompson and Baloria.