MANILA, Philippines - Lawrence Mangubat had to fight for every touch as the College of St. Benilde's defense denied the Jose Rizal University starting point guard clean looks and easy jumpers during their NCAA Season 102 clash on Tuesday.
The Blazers' box-and-1 defense limited Mangubat to a single field goal in the opening quarter and just 1-of-5 shooting from deep throughout, but the Heavy Bombers' elite scorer found a way to make his mark when the game tightened.
The 22-year-old Cebuano lefty scored all six of JRU's points in the final stretch as the Heavy Bombers defeated CSB, 73-69, at the FilOil Centre in San Juan.
He finished with 20 points and nine rebounds, overcoming a slow start to finish strong in the thriller.
Mangubat, who transferred from Mapua to JRU in Season 101, said in Filipino: "I've been preparing for those moments for a long time, especially after winning a title in Season 100.,
"After my one-year residency and conditioning period with JRU, I just put in extra work to be ready for close games."
With CSB threatening to erase a 16-point deficit, Mangubat rose from the top of the three-point arc and drilled his lone triple with 1:08 remaining to put JRU ahead, 70-66.
Justine Sanchez answered from long range 23 seconds later to keep the Blazers afloat, but Mangubat showed nerves of steel. He drew a foul but split his free throws, then Allan Laurenaria kept the possession alive with a crucial offensive rebound.
Mangubat returned to the line and sank both attempts to seal JRU's win and hand the Blazers their first loss of the season.
With CSB guards taking turns defending him in the box-and-1, Mangubat knew that he did not have to force his way on offense.
"I just create opportunities for my teammates, and I'll do whatever helps the team, especially on defense," Mangubat said.
"I'll also do everything I can to lead."
That defensive attention opened up opportunities elsewhere, with JRU getting timely production from other Heavy Bombers.
Chris Hubilla bounced back from a three-point outing against his former team, Mapua, in which he also fouled out, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks.
Jalen Garcia and Sean Salvador also made solid contributions, adding 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Mangubat said the experience of playing through tight games was particularly important for JRU's younger players.
"We have to learn something from every game, and our teammates, especially the rookies, need to get used to being in situations like that," he said.
"We just have to stay composed and find a way to win."
That mentality is something JRU has been building in preparation for this season, assistant coach Joaqui Garcia said.
"We realized that we can compete this season because we work on it every day," Garcia said.
"Knowing that our key players like Hubilla and Mangubat are bringing championship experience to the team is a big factor for us."
The Heavy Bombers have navigated two consecutive close contests into the season, but Garcia is keeping the team focused on the long haul.
"It's a long season ahead," he said.
"So our mantra is to take everything one game at a time. We will just do our best and give our all, our efforts."
Having Mangubat and Hubilla as co-captains gives JRU two leaders whose experience can carry over to the rest of the roster.
"That's the beauty of our team because everyone is a good listener," Garcia said.
"Mangubat and Hubilla are the co-captains, so everyone listens to them, regardless of whether they're older or younger than them."