LETRAN COMPLETES SWEEP OF PERPS, ADVANCES TO NCAA FINALS

By: Miguel Caramoan

Strong Group-powered Colegio de San Juan de Letran staged a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to erase a 13-point deficit and secure a thrilling 72-70 victory over the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena, punching their ticket to the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball finals.

The win marks the Knights’ return to the championship stage for the first time since Season 98, putting them on track for their 21st NCAA crown.

“I’m thankful and grateful for this opportunity to lead the team in bringing back Letran, you know, to the Season 101 championship,” said Letran head coach Allen Ricardo. “It’s the three things: know your purpose, know your impact, and know your consequence. On and off the court, I remind them of these values. We need to live with our purpose, consequence, and impact in life.”

The Knights, completing a season sweep of the Altas after victories in the crossover round and Game 1 of the semifinals, extended their hot streak to six straight wins. Jonathan Manalili shone with a double-double of 16 points and 14 assists, while backcourt partner Jimboy Estrada added 11 points and four steals, including a clutch three-pointer that gave Letran the 72-70 lead with 1:41 left.

After taking an early 18-15 lead, Letran struggled through the middle quarters, conceding 49 points and allowing Perpetual to open a 64-54 advantage heading into the fourth. Patrick Sleat led the Altas with 15 first-half points, and Josiah Alcantara’s triple in the third quarter pushed the lead to 64-51.

But the Knights’ defense clamped down in the final period, holding Perpetual to just six points. Mark Gojo Cruz’s layup made it 70-64 with 4:24 remaining, their last field goal of the game. Letran then went on a decisive 10-0 run, fueled by Manalili’s scoring and assists and Jun Roque’s free throws, sealing the dramatic win.