Letran guard Jimboy Estrada slices through Arellano’s perimeter defense. Photo courtesy of Zabrina Hong / The LANCE
The Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights punched its ticket to the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball semifinals after outlasting Arellano University Chiefs in a win-or-go-home quarterfinal duel earlier today at San Juan; exacting payback on the Chiefs who cut short the Knights’ campaign last season.
Jimboy Estrada delivered a stellar 19-point outing, filling the stat sheet with five boards and three dimes. He received ample support from Kevin Santos with 15 points, eight and three blocks, while June Roque poured in 11 points.
Letran stumbled out of the gate, coughing up early turnovers and falling into quick foul trouble as Arellano raced ahead with a 9–2 burst. Estrada kept the Knights within striking distance despite the Chiefs’ steady scoring, before Nathan Montecillo drilled a late triple to close the opening quarter at 17–20.
The Legarda-based squad fell into a scoring drought as Letran controlled the possessions early in the second quarter, leading to a back-and-forth stretch that kept the game tied. But the Knights broke the deadlock in explosive fashion, with Montecillo, Mark Omega, and Roque knocking down triples in rapid succession to seize a seven-point cushion. A free throw from Roque capped the surge and closed the half at 39–31.
Estrada ignited the third quarter, dropping two triples and a basket, while Santos added two more hoops to give Letran their biggest lead of the game at 50–36.
Arellano fought back behind T-mc Ongotan’s sharpshooting and capitalized on the Knight’s sluggish defense, cutting the deficit down to eight.
Anjord Cabotaje tried to ignite a late comeback for the Chiefs, slicing Knights’ lead to just four points midway through the fourth.
The Intramuros-based crew immediately countered, with another clutch three-pointer from Estrada followed by Titing Manalili’s precise passing, setting up back-to-back baskets for Aron Buenasalida to push the lead back to 10 points.
Cabotaje notched another score, but it only served as a consolation, with the Chiefs finishing eight points shy in the 77-69 defeat.
Ongotan anchored the Chiefs' effort, registering a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds, along with four steals and three assists. Cabotaje was the primary secondary scorer, chipping in 18 points and four rebounds.
In a post-match interview, Player of the Game Jimboy Estrada shared his thoughts on facing the Perpetual Altas in the semifinals. The shooting guard, now in his second year with the team and entering the Final Four for the first time, said, “Excited na makalaro sila kasi final four, first time ko. Recover lang kami ngayon. Enjoy namin yung panalo na ‘to tas balik kami sa trabaho.”
The Knights move on to a best-of-three clash with the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, as the battle for a Finals berth begins.
CSJL (77) - Estrada 19, Santos 15, Roque 11, Buenasalida 10, Omega 8, Montecillo 6, Cuajao 5, Manalili 3, Gammad 0.
AU (69) - Ongotan 23, Cabotaje 18, Libang 9, Geronimo 6, Vinoya 5, Demetria 4, Valencia 4, Camay 0, Hernal 0, Acop 0, Abiera 0, Borromeo 0.