By: Arjohn Roxas
Colegio de San Juan de Letran kept its NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball campaign alive with a gritty 87–78 victory over Arellano University in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
The Knights have dominated the Chiefs all season, including a previous 83–65 blowout win in the elimination round last October 26, and they relied on key performances to maintain that edge.
Now, both teams will meet in a do-or-die clash on Friday at 12:00 PM, with the winner advancing to face the victor of the Perpetual–Jose Rizal pairing in the best-of-three semifinals.
Jimboy Estrada led Letran with 22 points, while Kevin Santos added 20 and Jonathan Manalili tallied 15. Deo Cuajao contributed nine off the bench.
Estrada also finished with four rebounds and four assists, while Manalili orchestrated Letran’s offense with a game-high nine assists. Aaron Buensalida anchored the interior with 10 rebounds.
“We started flat, so ang sama ng start namin. Hindi kami makakuha ng momentum kasi ang dami rin naming binigay na offensive rebounds and second chance points,” said Knights head coach Allen Ricardo.
After trailing 19–27 at the end of the first quarter, the Knights clawed their way back at the charity stripe, knocking down 18 free throws in the first half — double Arellano’s output.
“We were struggling pero nandoon pa rin kami, dumidikit pa rin kami,” Ricardo added. “Sabi ko lang, ‘We just need multiple stops and good execution para somehow ma-control natin ’yong game.’”
Letran broke the game open in the third quarter with an 11–0 run sparked by an Estrada three-pointer, heading into the fourth with a 75–67 lead.
The Knights’ defense then held the Chiefs to just 11 points in the final frame to seal the win.
T-Mc Ongotan led Arellano with 18 points, six assists, and nine rebounds in the loss.
The Scores:
Letran 87 – Estrada 22, Santos 20, Manalili 15, Cuajao 11, Omega 9, Buensalida 6, Roque 2, Tapenio 2, Gammad 0, Montecillo 0, Rosilio 0
Arellano 78 – Ongotan 18, Valencia 11, Cabotaje 10, Libang 10, Vinoya 9, Camay 8, Demetria 4, Geronimo 4, Hernal 3, Abiera 1, Borromeo 0, Buenaventura 0
Quarterscores: 19–27, 48–46, 75–67, 87–78
