The Letran Knights escaped the Perpetual Help Altas, 85-83, while the San Beda Red Lions beat the Benilde Blazers, 82-69, on Tuesday, November 10, at the Filoil Centre to wrap up the elimination round of the NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament. Both winners locked up top seeds and twice-to-beat advantages in the quarterfinals.
Jimboy Estrada Rescues Letran
Jimboy Estrada drilled a go-ahead three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to give the Knights the win and the Group B top seed at 9-4. Letran was down, 83-82, with 6.9 seconds to go when it gave Estrada the ball, and he calmly pulled up from beyond the arc. The Altas then fumbled their inbound play to seal the escape. Letran is also coming off a loss to the EAC Generals, and Estrada admitted the sting of that defeat fueled the team.
Estrada finished with 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Chad Gammad also had 19 for Letran, while Justin Cargo and Kevin Santos added 11 and 10. Titing Manalili sparked the late comeback with a personal four-point run that erased an 81-78 Perpetual lead and made it 82-81 with 20 seconds left. JM Tulabut answered with a jumper to restore the Altas’ lead at 83-82 and set up Estrada’s heroics.
Tulabut led Perpetual with 12 points, and Gelo Gelsano had a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Altas ended up 4-9, fourth in Group B, and will face the San Sebastian Golden Stags in the play-ins. Letran awaits the winner of the Mapua Cardials versus Lyceum Pirates play-in.
San Beda Gets Revenge on Benilde
The defending champions finished 10-3, tied with the JRU Heavy Bombers, and took the Group A top seed on a superior quotient. They controlled the game from the start, leading by as many as 18 at the half, 48-30, to avenge a 77-68 opening-day loss to the Blazers.
Andrei Ugaddan led San Beda with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Jimmy Reyes had 12, while Aldous Torculas and JC Bonzalida added 11 and 10. Justine Sanchez paced Benilde with 15 points, and Jhommel Ancheta and Ian Torres chipped in 11 and 10.
Benilde fell to 8-5 but still clinched the Group A third seed and will face second-seeded EAC, which has a twice-to-beat edge. San Beda will take on the winner of the Perpetual versus San Sebastian play-in, and JRU will face the Arellano Chiefs.
