Justin Arana led the way for the Chiefs with 17 points, 15 big rebounds, three assists, and three blocks, scoring 12 of his 17 points in the second half which were crucial to holding off the Cardinals.

Coming to a 56-48 lead in the final frame, the Chiefs held off a gutsy Cardinals that trimmed their lead to just two, 62-60, after an Adrian Nocum bucket in the final 4:11, 

But Arana shifted to high gear after rallying the Chiefs, scoring six points in the Chiefs’ 10-3 run to put the game away, 72-63.

Jordan Sta. Ana added 15 points and seven assists, while Kai Olivia and Axel Doromal contributed 10 points and 9 points, respectively, in the win to improve to a 2-3 record.

Warren Bonifacio paced the Cardinals with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds in its second straight loss after its 3-0 start.

The scores:

Arellano 72 – Arana 17, Sta. Ana 15, Oliva 10, Doromal 9, Doromal 9, Carandang 6, Sablan 4, Uri 4, Caballero 3, Cruz 2, Dela Cruz 2, Valencia 0.

Mapua 63 – Bonifacio 11, Pido 9, Nocum 9, Garcia 8, Agustin 7, Gamboa 7, Hernandez 7, Lacap 5, Mercado 0, Asuncion 0, Sual 0, Salenga 0, Milan 0.

Quarters: 23-19; 41-35; 56-48; 72-63.