Jimboy Estrada and Jonathan Manalili execute a clean play against the JRU Bombers. Photo by Maverick Rhoy De Vera | The LANCE
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights avenged their first loss to the JRU heavy bombers 85-71, placing them back in the winning column, earlier today at the NCAA Season 101 Men’s Basketball Tournament held at the FilOil EcOil Centre in San Juan City
Jimboy Estrada led Letran in scoring, ending the game with 20 points, along with three assists and a block. Kevin Santos was not far behind, tallying 17 points, three steals and two blocks, while Jonathan Manalili chipped in eight points and dished out nine assists.
The two teams played physical right off the bat, contesting each other‘s shots and not giving an inch of space to shooters. Letran struggled to score in the early minutes, but Aaron Buensalida was up to the task, as he led the Knights to a four-point swing to tie the game at seven apiece midway through the first quarter.
Estrada was also present in terms of scoring early on, sinking his signature mid-range bank shot, and running in transition to complete fastbreak plays for Letran.
JRU’s Shawn Argente was not one to back down however, as he charged to the basket at each play, he drew fouls from Letran which forced the Knights to play a little safer for the entirety of the quarter. By the end of the first, Letran went on a 12-0 run which placed them in the lead 23-17.
In the second period, Letran’s momentum continued to build up, the Knights began to suffocate the ball handlers of JRU, completing steals and anticipating passes which Letran was able to convert to points on the other end.
Estrada’s volume shooting continued to torture the Heavy Bombers as they seemed to have no answers for his mid-range shot, while Santos and Mark Omega’s presence was felt on both sides of the floor, as the two big men bothered shots left and right on the defensive end, they powered through opponents for easy buckets on the other, further extending the Letran lead 38-26.
It was a dry spell for the Heavy Bombers late in the second frame, turnovers piled up and shots were inconsistent while Letran widened the gap 49-36 to end the first half.
Come the third quarter, the offense from Manalili and Santos kept JRU at a distance. The aggressive drives of Manalili, paired with his pinpoint passing, opened opportunities for the Knights to score easy baskets. Santos once again showcased his dominance as he skied to the rim for a highlight dunk, to the delight of the Letran crowd.
Harry Herrera provided a much needed offensive spark for the Heavy Bombers, drilling threes and tough layups as they tried to mount a comeback. But with every shot they made, the Knights fired right back. As the third quarter concluded, Letran’s lead was reduced to 10, 63-53.
The fourth period was more of the same for Letran, the Intramuros-based squad kept terrorizing the guards of JRU with physical defense which resulted in turnovers and easy transition points for the Knights. The points racked up easily for Letran, while the Heavy Bombers continued to struggle in maintaining possession of the ball, multiple shot attempts were missed and even free throws did not hit the bottom of the net.
With the Knights milking the clock, any hopes of a JRU comeback was diminished. As the final buzzer sounded, Letran secured their sixth win of the tournament on a final score of 85-71.
In a postgame interview, Head Coach Allen Ricardo was asked what they did differently from their previous matchup against JRU.
“This was all about the mindset, they are humble to do what it takes, to do the small things defensively, offensively… iyon ang ina-address ko sa kanila: na you have to play the right way,” he said.
The Letran Knights are set to face their rivals, the San Beda Red Lions on November 11, 2025 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.
QUARTERSCORES: 23-17, 49-36, 63-53, 85-71.
CSJL (85) - Estrada 20, Santos 17, Manalili 8, Roque 8, Cuajao 7, Omega 7, Buensalida 7, Silorio 6, Rosilio 3, Montecillo 2.
JRU (71) - Argente 16, Herrera 14, Laurenaria 11, Garupil 11, Salvador 11, Benitez 4, Panapanaan 2, Duque 2.