LETRAN OPENS NCAA SEASON 101 WITH MIXED RESULTS
By: Joaquin Cortez
Colegio de San Juan de Letran opened its NCAA Season 101 campaign with mixed results on Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, showcasing dominance in the juniors division while absorbing a narrow setback in the seniors tournament.
The retooled Letran Squires made a statement in their juniors basketball debut, overpowering the Jose Rizal Light Bombers, 62-52.
Harvey Macadangdang led the charge with 14 points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block, while Earl Dehino added eight points, seven rebounds, three assists, and three blocks.
Former UE Junior Warrior Mico Pascual contributed eight points and four steals, and Justin Cargo tallied eight points, five rebounds, and three steals.
Travis Pascual (7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals), Ethan Egea (5 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds), and Andwele Cabanero (2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists) also made solid contributions in the Squires’ strong showing.
“It’s a new challenge for me personally,” said new Squires head coach Andrew Estrella, who previously led Nazareth School of National University to the UAAP Season 87 Junior High School Basketball championship.
“There’s a lot of talent in our team, but we need to work on how we will work together as one cohesive unit. We still have a lot to work on.”
With the win, Letran gained an early share of the lead in Group A, sending a clear message that the Squires are ready to contend.
Meanwhile, the Letran Knights faced a tougher outing in the seniors division, falling 73-69 to Jose Rizal University in a hard-fought opener.
Trailing by as much as 16 points, 59-43, late in the third quarter, the Knights staged a late rally, nearly erasing the deficit.
Jonathan Manalili’s clutch free throws cut the gap to three, 72-69, with 14 seconds left, but the Knights’ final attempts fell short.
Jimboy Estrada led Letran with 14 points, while Manalili added 11 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Chad Gammad provided instant offense off the bench with 11 points on three triples, and Kevin Santos posted a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.
