Free throws hand JRU 4th straight win in NCAA

Jose Rizal University (JRU) coach Vergel Meneses was relieved that his players' free throw shooting worked in the payoff period.

"If we didn’t hit our free throws we wouldn’t have won this game," said a disappointed Meneses after JRU's ugly 74-65 win over a well-rested College of St. Benilde on Friday in the 86th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Heavy Bombers blew a 12-point lead early in the fourth period and was held without a field goal in the final eight minutes of the contest but leaned on their steady free throw shooting to nail their fourth straight win after an opening day 68-52 loss to San Beda.

"We're playing bad, we have to be consistent, we can't play like this against San Sebastian next week," said Meneses, a former PBA MVP and slam dunk champion.

The Bombers will face reigning titlist San Sebastian Stags on Friday, July 30.

JRU shot 10-of-15 at the stripe in the fourth period but was held to a 9-of-30 shooting from the field in the second half with their shots in the final canto failing to find its target. They shot 23-of-61 in the entire game for a measly 38 percent clip.

Reycon Kabigting, who filled in the role vacated by 2009 season MVP John Wilson, scored seven of his team-high 14 points to lead the Bombers’ scoring. JR Bulangis and Cameroonian import Joe Etame, who came off the bench, contributed 13 and 12 each.

Wilson decided to skip his final year of eligibility for JRU to join the coming annual PBA Rookie Draft.

Carlo Lastimosa, nephew of former PBA star Jojo Lastimosa, exploded with 19 points to go with his five assists, two rebounds and two steals but could not lead the Blazers to their second straight win. He was held to just a point in the final period.

In juniors' action, Andoy Estrella erupted for 26 points as Mapua scored a 75-72 win over San Sebastian to hike its record to 2-2.

The Staglets suffered their first loss to join San Beda, which saw their fourth win forfeited after one of its players was caught wearing a wrong uniform, in four games.

JRU, meanwhile, leaned on Cris Dela Paz' 32-point and 11-rebound performance as the Light Bombers squeezed out a 92-89 overtime win over La Salle-Greenhills.

The Mandalauyong-based quintet improved to a 3-2 mark, a full-game behind leader Perpetual Help's 4-1 mark