NCAA: Knights overpower Red Lions, forge do-or-die game for the crown

(Updated 8:32pm) Kevin Alas and the rest of the Letran Knights are not yet done with their magical run.

 

The gutsy Knights staved off elimination and denied the San Beda College Red Lions a sweep, winning 64-55 on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to force a deciding third game for the 88th NCAA season's crown.

 

It was the first time Letran beat San Beda all year, having previously lost their two elimination round meetings, in addition to the first game of the Finals. In fact, the last time the Red Lions fell to the Knights was in the first round of Season 83, back in 2007.  After a 15-4 third quarter rally by San Beda put Letran in a two-point hole, the Knights came back with a vengeance in the fourth, hitting the Red Lions on all fronts. Letran combined a flurry of penetration moves to the rim–including two and-ones by Kevin Alas for good measure–with hot long-range shooting from Jonathan Belorio and Mark Cruz, to drop a 19-9 bomb on San Beda, reinstating a 60-52 lead with under three minutes to play. The Red Lions found Baser Amer open in the left corner, who swished home a three-pointer with under two minutes to play, but they struggled to build on it as Anjo Caram was repelled on a drive during their next possession. San Beda then could not complete a defensive stop, as the Knights retained possession until the 20 second mark, when the defending champions were forced to foul Kevin Racal. The forward buried two from the line, then after another unsuccessful foray to the basket, the Red Lions fouled Jam Cortes with 2.7 ticks on the clock, and the graduating power forward drained another two charities to cap off the victory. This time, Kevin Alas found more support than in Letran's Game 1 loss. Five Knights scored in double digits, led by Belorio's 15 points and 10 rebounds. Cruz tallied 12 points and six rebounds, and Carlo Lituania had 11 markers, including nine in the second quarter. Kevin Alas and Jam Cortes notched 10 points apiece. Letran's star guard had an off-night and shot a 4-for-16 clip, including missing all seven attempts from downtown. Meanwhile, Cortes hauled down 11 boards. Letran coach Louie Alas credited his role players, especially Cortes for stepping up. "After the third quarter my assistant coaches told me to settle down," he said. "Sabi nila, may one quarter pa." He also said they simply had to bounce back from a two-point loss in Game 1. "Kung ganun lang yung lamang nila, may ginawa rin kaming tama," coach Alas added. In the initial quarter, Jam Cortes drew first blood and Knights fired away from the perimeter, resulting in buckets by Kevin Alas and Jonathan Belorio for an early 6-4 lead for Letran. At the 5:27 mark, an unsportsmanlike foul was called on Jam Cortes for tripping a San Beda player. In the ensuing chaos, Cortes was called for a technical foul too, as well as San Beda's Melo Lim. Kyle Pascual then made two free throws to equalize the score at six points apiece. With Cortes forced to sit, the Knights had no choice but to lean on their outside shooting. Belorio and Mark Cruz delivered for Letran, burying a trey apiece en route to combining for their team's next 10 points. With under two minutes to play, Art Dela Cruz cut to the rim for the Red Lions' first field goal in the last five minutes. Dela Cruz scored four in a 6-2 stretch to inch closer to Letran, but Kevin Alas had the final say with a buzzer-beater to end the first quarter ahead, 18-14. In the second quarter, Letran struggled to score in the halfcourt set. However, they held on to the lead with aggressive defense against the Red Lions, especially in the paint. After three scoreless minutes, the Knights caught fire. They attacked San Beda with jumpers, often off screens, and sent the ball through the net with ease. Reserve guard Carlo Lituania drilled in nine points in an 11-5 blast for Letran, 29-19. With four minutes to play, the Red Lions turned to Kyle Pascual to put points on the board. The center overpowered the defense in the shaded area to score seven of their next nine. Raymond Almazan, however, had the last say, by cleaning up a botched play in the final 25 seconds to maintain a 37-28 lead after two quarters. When play resumed, the Red Lions pounded the ball inside to Adeogun, who scored or facilitated in an early 7-2 run. Save for a transition bucket by Cortes, the Knights couldn't find the bottom of the net despite multiple looks or cuts. They struggled in vain inside, against the duo of Adeogun and Kyle Pascual. Letran mentor Louie Alas had to call timeout as the Red Lions came knocking at their door, halfway through the period, 39-35. Both teams battled a long drought from the field, but San Beda broke the spell first with an Anjo Caram basket with over two minutes remaining. Lituania then replied with a tough jumper, but Adeogun dominated inside for back-to-back baskets, including an alley-oop, to knot the game at 41 apiece. Then in the last 15 seconds, a technical foul was called on coach Alas. Amer drilled two from the free throw line to cap a final 8-2 run that gave the Red Lions their first lead, 43-41, after three quarters. Letran was held to just four points in the third quarter, including only a single field goal in the last eight minutes, they compensated though, with a good dose of fourth quarter brilliance to knot the series at one apiece. The host team dominated the rebounding battle, 50-39, as the Knights were aided by a 22-14 advantage on the offensive glass, allowing them to shoot a 24-of-71 mark, or 34 percent. In contrast, San Beda managed a 20-of-60 mark, or 33 percent. In the fourth quarter, coach Alas said they had to force Adeogun out of his comfort zone. "Nilaro namin yung tendencies niya," he said, stressing that task was a pressing concern. "Pero bale wala 'tong nilaro namin ngayon kung matatalo kami sa Thursday." Ola Adeogun led San Beda with 12 points and nine rebounds. Anjo Caram, Baser Amer and Kyle Pascual tallied nine points apiece and combined for 11 rebounds. - RAF/AMD, GMA News The scores: CSJL 64: Belorio 15, Cruz 12, Lituania 11, Kevin Alas 10, Cortes 10, Racal 2, Almazan 2, Kristoffer Alas 2, Luib 0 SBC 55: Adeogun 12, Caram 9, Amer 9, K Pascual 9, J Pascual 6, Dela Rosa 4, Dela Cruz 4, Koga 2, Lim 0, Mendoza 0 Quarter scores: 18-14, 37-28, 41-43, 64-55