By: Miguel Caramoan
Aaron Buensalida and Kevin Santos took charge inside the paint as Colegio de San Juan de Letran escaped with an 85-82 overtime victory over Mapua University in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Santos anchored the Knights with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Buensalida battled inside for a hard-earned double-double of 16 points and 10 boards, spearheading Letran’s triumph.
The Knights relied on their inside attack from the start, with Buensalida and Santos combining for 14 of the team’s 18 points in the paint to build a commanding 27-12 lead after the opening period.
After Letran extended the lead to 17 early in the second quarter, Mapua mounted a furious 13-0 run.
The surge was fueled by two triples from Cyrus Cuenco, strong drives from Cyrus Nitura, and inside finishes by Drex Delos Reyes.
Earl Sapasap capped the rally with a basket that briefly gave Mapua a 39-38 lead, before Letran responded with two late buckets to reclaim a slim three-point edge at halftime.
The momentum, however, clearly shifted to the Cardinals, who dominated the third quarter with a 24-12 surge.
Nitura continued to lead the charge with nine points, while Cyril Gonzales provided the finishing touch with six late points to close the period.
Trailing by nine heading into the fourth, the Knights rallied with a 25-16 effort to force overtime.
In regulation, Letran took the lead on a Santos basket off a slick feed from Jonathan Manalili, making it 76-75 with 1:09 left.
Mapua answered with a three-pointer from Cuenco, followed by two Manalili free throws to tie the game at 78.
Manalili once again came up big in overtime, driving for a basket to give Letran an 83-81 advantage at the 2:14 mark.
Mapua’s Season 100 Finals MVP Clint Escamis missed two of three free throws after being fouled beyond the arc with 29 seconds remaining, keeping the Cardinals trailing 83-82.
Jimboy Estrada then iced the game with two free throws, sealing the 85-82 victory for the Knights.
With the win, Letran has now strung together four consecutive victories and remains unbeaten in crossover play with a 4-3 record, securing the third spot in a competitive Group B.
Estrada led the Knights in scoring with 20 points on 12-of-16 free-throw shooting. Meanwhile, Manalili contributed an all-around stat line of 14 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and one steal.
The Knights will look to extend their streak against Arellano on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
On the other hand, defending champions Mapua dropped their second straight game and are virtually level with the Arellano Chiefs for the third spot in Group A at 3-3.
Nitura posted a double-double of 19 points and 15 rebounds, adding three assists, while fellow transferee Gonzales chipped in 17 points.
The Cardinals will face the JRU Heavy Bombers on Friday at the same venue.
The Scores:
Letran 85 – Estrada 20, Santos 17, Buensalida 16, Manalili 14, Cuajao 9, Omega 4, Gammad 3, Rosilio 2, Yusi 0, Gazzingan 0
Mapua 82 – Nitura 19, Gonzales 17, Escamis 14, Cuenco 10, Sapasap 9, Delos Reyes 7, Recto 4, Concepcion 2, Igliane 0, Lazarte 0, Gulapa 0
Quarterscores: 25-12, 41-38, 53-62, 78-78, 85-82.
