Mangubat, Hubilla lift JRU to brink of maiden Filoil Preseason Cup title

3 days ago

Jose Rizal University is just one win away from making history.

Behind the leadership of Lawrence Mangubat and Chris Hubilla, the Heavy Bombers defeated San Beda, 70-59, on Tuesday to draw within a victory of capturing their first-ever Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup championship.

The veteran pair spearheaded JRU's effort on both ends of the court, giving the Heavy Bombers a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three finals and a chance to finally break through in one of the country's premier preseason tournaments.

Head coach Nani Epondulan praised Mangubat and Hubilla for the leadership they have brought to a team that continues to grow in confidence.

"Before, laging kong sinasabi sa inyo na nag-mature na yung mga players. Pero iba yung leadership na dinala ni Chris at tsaka ni Lawrence sa team," Epondulan said.

Mangubat turned in an all-around performance with 22 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, while Hubilla backed him up with 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

JRU also set the tone on the defensive end by forcing San Beda into 18 turnovers, allowing the Heavy Bombers to dictate the pace throughout the opener of the historic all-NCAA championship series.

Victory in Thursday's Game 2 would give JRU its long-awaited first Filoil title, two decades after finishing runner-up in the tournament's inaugural edition.

Epondulan acknowledged the significance of the opportunity, saying the program is working to revive the winning culture that once defined the school.

"Alam naman natin kung gaano na katagal [hindi nag-champion ang JRU sa NCAA]. Pero binubuhay namin ulit yung winning culture ng school. Mahirap, pero pag nagawa naman namin at tinrabaho namin, hindi sila makakalimutan ng tao," he said.

San Beda found little offensive rhythm in the loss, with Zed Etulle accounting for 14 points and four rebounds as the Red Lions look to force a deciding Game 3.