University of Perpetual Help System DALTA’s scorching second half crushed defending NCAA Seniors Basketball champion Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 74-59, on Sunday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
The Knights dropped their seventh consecutive game in this season as the Altas denied them their first win.
Jun Roque, who caught fire in the second half, led Perpetual with 22 points, 18 of which came in the second half, including six three-pointers that buried the Knights.
Altas head coach Myk Saguiguit praised Roque for his performance, commending his execution of their plays and finding the right spots.
“Si Jun kasi, nagbebenefit. Galing humanap ng puwesto eh, lagi siyang available doon sa spots na rinurun naming sets kaya siya yung nabebenefit. Siguro hindi suwerte kasi shooter naman talaga siya,” said Saguiguit.
After a three-pointer from Kurt Reyson at the 9:06 mark of the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to two (44-42), the Altas outscored the Knights 28-12 in the next seven minutes, extending their lead to as much as 18, 72-54, after a layup from Shawn Orgo. Letran had too little time for a comeback, and Perpetual secured the victory.
Saguiguit was satisfied with the Altas’ offensive execution in the second half, noting that their shots improved in the final two quarters compared to the unwanted shots in the first two.
Razon and Christian Pagaran also contributed with 12 crucial points each in the Altas’ 15-point blowout.
The Altas improved to 3-4 for the season after securing back-to-back wins, maintaining their seventh spot in the standings.
Their next game is against San Beda University next on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
Cuajao was the leading scorer for the Knights with 15 points, including three three-pointers. Reyson added 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals, while Monje contributed 10 points.
Letran missed the services of their big man, Paolo Javillonar, who was down with a fever.
The Knights hope to end their losing streak against San Sebastian College-Recoletos on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
The Scores:
UPHSD 74 – Roque 22, Razon 12, Pagaran 12, Abis 6, Barcuma 5, Omega 5, Nitura 3, Ferreras 3, Orgo 2, Nunez 2, Gelsano 2, Cuevas 0
Letran 59 – Cuajao 15, Reyson 12, Monje 10, Ariar 5, Guarino 5, Fajardo 4, Nunag 4, Batallier 2, Santos 2, Garupil 0, Bautista 0, Jumao-as 0, Go 0, Bojorcelo 0
Quarterscores: 11-13, 21-25, 44-39, 74-59.
