Colegio de San Juan de Letran ended University of Perpetual Help System DALTA's dream run after carving out a 93-76 Game 3 victory to rule the NCAA Season 99 juniors basketball tournament on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The defending champions Squires cruised to a dominant Game 1 win but suffered a second half collapse in the next game as the Junior Altas forced a Game 3.
The wards of head coach Allen Ricardo, though, made sure the crown stays in Muralla after reigning supreme in the heated decider and made sure there was no meltdown this time around.
Redeeming himself from two missed game-deciding free throws last game, sweet-shooting big man Syrex Silorio rose to the occasion against a gutsy Perpetual side as they avoided another breakdown following their Game 2 loss that saw them waste an 18-point lead.
Silorio caught fire early, dropping 14 points in the first half as they took control of the match before they denied the Junior Altas another second half rally.
Although Silorio wasn’t able to score a single point in the third, Letran had enough manpower to carry the fight with Jonathan Manalili and Daniel Padilla forming a formidable backcourt duo.
Silorio then put up the finishing kick after he opened the fourth quarter with six straight points for a 75-58 cushion before he ignited for a huge three-pointer that sent them to an 86-70 cushion with 1:10 left in the game.
There was no more resistance from the side of Perpetual from that point on as Letran clinched its back-to-back titles.
Silorio, who has one more year left in the junior ranks, finished a game-high 27 points alongside five rebounds, and six assists while Manalili chipped in 17 markers, five dimes, and six steals en route to the Finals MVP plum.
Padilla chimed in with 17 points as George Diamante listed nine markers, 11 rebounds, and eight assists.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
