By: Kim Yoshi Espiritu
Photo by: Augusto Urbano II
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights outlasted the San Sebastian College - Recoletos Golden Stags in their NCAA Season 100 double overtime riposte, 101-98, earlier today at the FilOil EcoOil Centre Arena in San Juan City.
Crucial shots were unleashed by Deo Cuajao in two extending regulations, racking up a career-high and tournament-best performance of 34 points, two blocks, and an assist. The sharpshooter from North Cotabato connected seven triples out of his 12 attempts to fuel Letran in the fleeting seconds and hit the biggest shot of the match that sealed the game.
On his side was Jimboy Estrada who made a comeback in ecstatic fashion. After serving a one-game suspension from an ejection in their bout against the Perpetual Altas last October 13, the highly-touted shooting guard erupted for 30 points, seven rebounds, and five assists – proving his presence as invaluable to the team. This tenacious performance raised a statement in the league that despite the disqualification from end-of-season awards, his game is still worthy of high-praise and recognition.
The former National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (NAASCU) rookie MVP hit early 10 points built on a perimeter jumper in the 4-minute mark and an eventual surprise shot — draining a logo trey from beyond 30-feet to beat the clock. His early efforts helped the squad pull a 7-point advantage to end the first frame, 25-18.
Back in their first outing, the Golden Stags evidently gained a significant morale boost after stomping over the highly-touted players of Letran. Now, being placed at the bottom seed in this tournament, the Yellow and Red are hungry to prove that they can overcome bigger teams in the final round.
It was always in the latter parts of the match where the Knights’ offense gets stagnant and tilts in defending the basket. This was the moment where TJ Felebrico, still hot off his 30-point explosion against the Generals, capitalized and mounted a 14-2 run and snagged the lead at halftime, 34-41
The ball was nowhere close to safety with the opponent’s active hands forcing the Intramuros-based squad to turn the ball over consecutively which translated to dense fastbreak scoring for the stags.
The shooting barrage continued as Felebrico and Cuajao exchanged crucial baskets late in their extended affair, knotting the game at 89-all heading to their second overtime. It was in the final 15 seconds of the game where Cuajao decided to stop the madness and seal the game winning trifecta.
Paeng Are dealt triple-threat damage with a combination of his downtown shots, transition slashes, and drop dimes. His endgame heroics granted their team more regulation time, but was cut short after fouling out in overtime. He finished with 27 points and 5 steals.
Felebrico gained another double-double of 19 points and 12 boards. Niko Aguilar and Leo Velasco also contributed in double digits, with 14 and 12, respectively.
The Letran Knights capitalized on multiple nip-and-tuck affairs in the final minutes of this tournament, leading another path to the top four of overall standings. They will don blue jerseys in their second round rematch against the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers on October 26, Saturday, in the same arena.
Quarter Scores; 25-18, 34-41, 60-64, 77-77, 89-89 (OT) , 101-98 (2OT)
Letran (101) - Cuajao 34, Estrada 30, Santos 13, Javillonar 8, Miller 6, Dimaano 4, Jumao-as 2, Montecillo 2, Nunag 2, Baliling 0, Go 0, Tagotongan 0, Sarza 0.
San Sebastian (98) - Are 27, Felebrico 19, Aguilar 14, Velasco 12, Escobido 7, R. Gabat 6, Ricio 6, L. Gabat 3, Maliwat 3, Suico 1, Pascual 0.