DIMINUTIVE third-year point guard Edgar Charcos led an unlikely comeback for the University of the East (UE) by scoring eight points in the final 86 seconds of the match to defeat hard-luck Mapua, 79-77, in the Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup at the San Juan Arena on Wednesday.
The Red Warriors led the Cardinals, 18-8, at the end of the first quarter but suffered an offensive meltdown as Mapua veteran Josan Nimes and center Allwell Oraeme inspired a rally that saw them lead by as much as 15 points, 67-52, after a Stephen Que lay-up with 7:03 to play.
But UE went back to its choking full-court press to force Mapua into several poor inbound. It didn’t help that Oraeme went out on account of five fouls, giving the Red Warriors a clear lane to the basket without Mapua’s intimidating center.
During his late-game heroics, Charcos hit two pressure-packed free throws with 2.5 seconds left and pulled down a key defensive rebound and chalked up a crucial assist to center RR de Leon that cut Mapua’s lead down to two, 71-69, with 1:47 left.
Emil Palma led UE with 19 points, while Charcos, the second-year guard out of Sun Yat Sen High School in Iloilo, added 15 points.
Nimes led all scorers with 26 points and nine rebounds. Oraeme tallied a double-double with 24 points and 17 rebounds.
Mapua committed a game-high 31 turnovers, while UE finished with only 13 turnovers.
“Our defense was the difference,” UE Head Coach Derrick Pumaren said. “We showed our resiliency in comebacking when it looked like a lost cause. Hopefully, this is a character win for us. More so, some of our players didn’t come to play.”
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza