Jeo Ambohot did not want to see Rey Nambatac end his NCAA career today, cleaning up his captain’s miss to lift the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights past the Arellano University Chiefs, 70-68, Friday afternoon at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
“Gaya ng sinabi ko, kailangan talaga maglaro ng A-game against Arellano kahit wala si [Kent] Salado. Team sila maglaro kaya hanggang dulo mahirap talaga,” said second-year Knights head coach Jeff Napa.
The win paved the way for Letran to move to the next stage of the stepladder. The Knights will take on the San Sebastian Golden Stags on Tuesday, October 24 at 3:30pm.
Ambohot, who broke his right wrist last August 15, proved to be the difference maker in the contest. Down 67-68 with 7.6 ticks left, Nambatac went for a drive but overcooked his layup. Fortunately for Nambatac and the rest of the Knights, Ambohot was there for the putback to seal the win.
“Sabi ko sa kanya, good job,” expressed Nambatac.
Nambatac, who is playing in his final year, finished with a game-high 25 points to go along with nine rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
“Yung performance ko, it means talaga na gusto ko pa maglaro sa NCAA. Talagang may unfinished business pa ko sa Letran,” added the native of Cagayan de Oro.
It was a tough outing for Letran though as the Chiefs did not back down.
Down by as much as 13 points, the backcourt tandem of Levi Dela Cruz and Rence Alcoriza singlehandedly willed the Chiefs back. The two went on a 14-8 run with Alcoriza scoring 11 during the rally that gave Arellano a 66-64 edge with 2:27 left. JP Calvo though answered right back with a triple but free throws by Alcoriza with 7.6 seconds remaining gave Arellano a one-point cushion.
“Kailangan lang namin maging disciplined. Madami pa kaming ayusin sa practice dahil may lapses pa kami,” said Napa.
Calvo added 11 points for Letran.
Dela Cruz finished with 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting while Alcoriza added 16 markers, spiked by three triples.
Lervin Flores, Zach Nicholls, and Allen Enriquez played their final NCAA game. Arellano finished in sixth place for the season.
The Scores:
CSJL 70 – Nambatac 25, Calvo 11, Quinto 9, Balanza 8, Vacaro 6, Balagasay 5, Ambohot 4, Gedaria 2, Taladua 0
AU 68 – Dela Cruz 18, Alcoriza 16, Canete 12, Flores 7, Enriquez 5, Taywan 4, Nicholls 3, Abanes 3, Concepcion 0, Villoria 0, Ongolo Ongolo 0, Meca 0
Quarterscores: 24-16, 38-36, 54-49, 70-68
