The Letran Knights bounced back from a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Mapua Cardinals, outlasting JRU Heavy Bombers, 70-66, in a hard-fought encounter in the NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
After that heartbreaking two-point loss to Mapua, the Knights returned to the win column to improve to 5-3, tying the Arellano Chiefs for first place in Group B. They did it without star guard Titing Manalili, who missed his second straight game as he recovers from a knee injury.
JRU, on the other hand, saw its four-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 6-2. The Bombers missed a chance to claim the top spot in Group A following the Benilde Blazers’ loss to the EAC Generals earlier in the afternoon.
“Of course, I am happy na kahit wala si [Manalili], nakaka-execute na ang mga guards namin. Pag naaalis sila, nasusunod pa rin ang gusto kong mangyari offensively, defensively, and I am happy with that,” said Letran head coach Allen Ricardo.
“We needed this win kasi we only have six games. So, we’re thinking one game at a time, but we really needed this win para makuha namin ‘yung tamang peak going to the playoffs,” he added.
Letran Weathers JRU’s Rally
Letran took control early in the second half, with Aaron Buensalida and Nat Montecillo draining back-to-back three-pointers to give the Knights their biggest lead of the game, 47-33. Lawrence Mangubat, however, sparked a JRU resurgence in the third quarter, leading a 19-6 run with timely baskets to cut the deficit to one, 53-52.
The Heavy Bombers eventually reclaimed the lead for the first time since the opening quarter when Ivan Panapanaan connected with Sean Salvador on a give-and-go to put JRU ahead, 58-57. Letran responded with a decisive 6-0 run capped by Buensalida’s layup to build a six-point cushion, 64-58.
JRU refused to go down without a fight. Jay Mangupil converted a layup to pull the Bombers within two, 67-65, with 2:49 remaining, but they struggled to convert down the stretch. With 23 seconds left, Buensalida hounded Mangupil into a turnover, dealing another blow to the comeback bid.
Montecillo split his free throws on the next possession, giving JRU one last chance to force overtime. Mangubat found Chris Hubilla in the right corner for a potential game-tying three-pointer, but Hubilla missed, and Letran escaped after converting crucial free throws in the closing seconds.
Chad Gammad led the Knights with 21 points, 17 of which came in the first half. Denzil Walker contributed 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Kevin Santos added 10 points.
Mangubat paced JRU with 18 points and 8 assists, and Salvador finished with 11 points and 4 assists. Hubilla, coming off a season-high performance against EAC, struggled against the Knights and finished with just 5 points on 2-of-8 shooting in 24 minutes and 16 seconds.
Next Up for Knights, Heavy Bombers
Both Letran and JRU will be back in action on Tuesday, October 20. The Knights, last season’s runners-up, will take on Benilde in a battle of two contenders. The Heavy Bombers, on the other hand, will look to bounce back later in the day when they face the Perpetual Help Altas. Both games will be played at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
