Aurigue shines as Lyceum edges Mapua for first NCAA Season 102 win

MANILA, Philippines — Lyceum of the Philippines University held off a resilient Mapua University, 88-87, to claim its first victory in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Monday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. Lance Aurigue spearheaded the Pirates' breakthrough win with a stellar double-double performance, delivering 21 points and 13 rebounds. With the game on the line in the final minute, Aurigue converted a clutch layup with 1:03 remaining to push Lyceum ahead, 86-85. Following a missed shot by Mapua’s Marcus Igliane, Aurigue drew a foul and calmly sank both free throws to extend the Pirates' lead to 88-85. Mapua drew closer after Cyrus Cuenco was fouled on a three-point attempt. However, Cuenco missed his second free throw, leaving the Cardinals trailing 88-87 and sealing Lyceum's narrow victory. “We remembered our opening day loss, and we were fueled by it, so we were really hungry to take the victory this time,” Aurigue said after the match. “We also wanted to win because this arena holds so many memories for our coach (Gilbert Malabanan), and we didn’t want to taint those memories for him.” Veteran guard Renz Villegas added 17 points to back up Aurigue, while Matthew Rubico chipped in 15...