By: Miguel Caramoan
Jonathan Manalili’s impressive triple-double carried Colegio de San Juan de Letran to its third straight win, 95-93 in overtime, against Lyceum of the Philippines University in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The 21-year-old freshman from Cebu posted a stellar stat line of 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists, along with two steals. His performance marked the second triple-double of the season, following Arellano’s T-Mc Ongotan, who achieved the feat against the same Pirates squad.
Lyceum came out strong in the first quarter, with starters Richmond Casino and Ato Barba combining for 14 points to give the Pirates a 20-16 lead at the 3:23 mark.
But Jimboy Estrada closed the quarter with a seven-point surge, finishing a 10-4 run that put Letran ahead by two.
The Pirates then exploited Letran’s 10 first-half turnovers, pushing the pace in transition. Simon Peñafiel scored seven points in the second quarter, while Luiz Tapeño contributed eight points inside the paint, keeping LPU’s two-point lead at halftime.
“Kailangan din namin tong ganitong mga games,” coach Allen Ricardo said.
“Not every game ay up ka by a big margin, so this is a lesson for us para magkaro’n kami ng maturity on both offense and defense.”
The third quarter saw a familiar pattern for Lyceum, as Letran pulled away on a series of baskets largely assisted by Manalili, culminating in a three-point play by Estrada that made it 64-55.
But LPU responded late in the quarter, with Barba, Renz Villegas, and Michael Versoza cutting the deficit to two points heading into the fourth.
Letran regained momentum early in the fourth quarter, taking an 81-71 lead at the 5:26 mark.
Kevin Santos scored the team’s first seven points, while Deo Cuajao hit back-to-back triples. However, LPU staged a late rally, with Versoza’s putback and Villegas’ free throws tying the game at 83-83 with 12.3 seconds remaining.
The game ultimately headed to overtime, with Manalili and Villegas scoring on respective drives to keep the teams neck-and-neck.
In the extra period, both squads traded baskets, but key free throws from Santos and Chad Gammad — coupled with a costly turnover by Barba on LPU’s final possession — sealed the win for Letran.
Aside from Manalili’s triple-double, the Knights got double-double performances from Santos and Estrada. The 6-foot-4 Santos contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds, while former NAASCU MVP Estrada added 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
With the victory, Letran has bounced back from its early-season setbacks, stringing together three straight wins to tie JRU for third place in Group B at 3-3.
The Knights will look to move above .500 when they face the Mapua Cardinals on Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Meanwhile, Lyceum remains winless at 0-5, sitting at the bottom of Group A. It marks their third overtime loss of the season.
Despite strong performances from Barba and Villegas, who scored 24 and 20 points respectively, and a 12-point contribution from Peñafiel off the bench, the Pirates could not secure the win.
LPU will aim for its first victory of the season against the JRU Heavy Bombers later the same day at the same venue.
The Scores:
Letran 95 – Santos 16, Estrada 15, Cuajao 14, Manalili 13, Tapenio 13, Gammad 13, Buensalida 7, Rosilio 2, Omega 2, Gazzingan 0
Lyceum 93 – Barba 24, Villegas 20, Penafiel 12, Versoza 10, Casino 9, Aviles 7, Moralejo 4, Daileg 3, Montano 2, Fuentes 2, Dural 0, Aurigue 0
Quarterscores: 26-24, 45-43, 68-66, 85-85, 95-93
