Colegio de San Juan de Letran is returning to the finals after 14 years following an 83-78 win over Mapua University in their semifinals showdown on Monday in the NCAA Season 98 juniors basketball tournament at the San Andres Sports Complex.
Andy Gemao led Letran with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and one block while George Diamante churned out a double-double outing of 10 markers and 14 boards alongside five assists.
Jonathan Manalili added 12 markers six rebounds and a game-high six assists, Jovel Baliling added 11 points, and Justine Hugo chipped in with 10 points, nine boards, four assists, and two blocks in the win.
Letran last trooped to the championship round in Season 85 in 2009, eventually losing to San Beda in their best-of-three affair.
The Squires now await the winner between the Red Cubs and the College of Saint Benilde-La Salle Green Hills Greenies, who will slug it out for the other finals ticket.
Mapua got off to a hot start with Joaquin Coronel and Noel Agemenyi conniving to put the Red Robins ahead for most of the first half, but the Squires still held a 41-38 lead at the turn all thanks to the duo of Gemao and Hugo.
Letran trailed by as many as nine points in the first two quarters but outscoring Mapua in the second period, 24 to 19, proved pivotal for the Squires.
That lead even ballooned to 12 in the third with Manalili and Baliling igniting from the field before the Red Robins staged a rally in the fourth, trimming their deficit to just one point, 73-72, after a Aki Valiña sinking a layup with 3:37 left.
A four-point play opportunity completed by Sean Salvador made it a tight 79-76 affair before Manalili knocked down two crucial free throws to send Letran to a much-needed 81-76 cushion in the final 28.2 seconds.
Mapua almost took the ball away, but Letran was able to secure the leather in the scramble. Gemao was steady on his two freebies, 83-78, to punch their ticket to the championship round.
Nygel Gonzales led Mapua with 21 points while Agemenyi finished with 10 points on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting clip from the field, alongside six rebounds, three steals and a block.
The scores:
Letran 83 - Gemao 14, Manalili 12, Baliling 11, Diamante 10, Hugo 10, Anabo 8, Silorio 8, Navarro 4, Padilla 2, Cruz 2, Alforque 2.
Mapua 78 - Gonzales 21, Agemenyi 10, Coronel 8, Salvador 8, Rodriguez 8, Masiglat 6, Dayrit 6, Valiña 4, Morenos 3, Mulingtapang 2, Go 2, Manuel 0, Santos 0.
Quarters: 17-19, 41-38, 62-50, 83-78.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
