By MARK REY MONTEJO

JM Bravo came out sizzling and led Lyceum to an 85-81 upset of Benilde in the NCAA Season 99 on Sunday, Sept. 24, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Bravo fired 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds to power the Pirates to a momentum-building win right in the opener and against last season’s runners-up Blazers who were missing the service of reigning MVP Will Gozum.

CSB started strong in the first half, seizing a 20-12 lead and closing out the halftime with an eight-point margin, 45-37.

Enoch Valdez and Shawn Umali then rallied Lyceum back to the groove as the squad outscored Benilde 25-12 in the third quarter to take a 62-57 lead.

Refusing to surrender after seeing a 10-point hole with seven minutes left, Robi Nayve carried the fightback for the Blazers, highlighted by his five straight points that brought them to within two, 81-83.

Lyceum’s Shawn Umali, however, coolly sank two free throws with 7.4 second remaining to seal the win.

Providing ample support for Bravo were Valdez and Umali, who had 18 and 16 points, respectively. 

Miggy Corteza registered 21 points, four rebounds and five blocks while Nayve added 13 in a losing effort for Benilde.