Fr Martin Cup: Ace Alas helps Knights sink Pirates

Kevin Alas scored 11 of his game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter to help the Letran Knights escape a tenacious Lyceum Pirates squad, 75-69, Saturday at the Trinity University of Asia gym, to advance to the semifinals of the 8th Fr. Martin Collegiate Open Cup. The Knights, held to just 12 third-quarter points, found their 41-31 halftime advantage reduced to 53-51. But Alas bailed them out, as the 87th NCAA Mythical Team member buried two three-pointers and made two free throws in Letran’s 12-4 run that pushed the lead back to double-digits, 65-55. The Pirates still had some fight left within them, however. Off a timeout at the 6:17 mark of the fourth period, Lyceum countered with eight straight markers, the last four courtesy of back-to-back jumpers by Vence Laude. Their opponent within two points again, 65-63, Alas capped a 6-0 spurt with another basket, forcing Lyceum coach Bonnie Tan to call timeout once more, 2:20 left. The quick break produced a set play that saw Floricel Guevarra score off a Shane Ko assist, cutting it to 71-65, but Letran converted just enough free throws in the final two minutes to stay ahead. Swingman Kevin Racal added 17 points for the Knights, who were without starting point guard Mark Cruz. Big men Jam Cortes and Joel Gabriel combined for 21. Ko's 18 markers led Lyceum's losing cause, but poor shooting by Guevarra and Chris Cayabyab held them back. The Pirates' scoring duo, who averaged a combined 29 points in the NCAA, where Lyceum was a guest team in the past season, only produced 19, 14 of which made by Cayabyab. Laude added 10, six scored in the final quarter, for Lyceum. The Pirates led briefly at the start of the game, 8-5, but conceded runs of 10-2 and 9-2 in the first two periods, forcing them into catch-up mode the rest of the way. Down 41-31 after the break, Ko and Cayabyab put together their side's first 12 points of the third quarter towing their side to within three, 46-43. A buzzer-beating tip-in by rookie big man Daniel Garcia made it a two-point game, but Alas and the Knights just had more firepower down the stretch. The win pits the Knights against another NCAA foe—the San Beda Red Lions, the defending back-to-back NCAA champions and reigning Fr. Martin Collegiate Open Cup titlists. The game will be on February 19, also at the Trinity University of Asia gym. — Adrian Dy/JVP, GMA News Scores: