Colegio de San Juan de Letran fended off a late University of Perpetual Help System DALTA rally to eke out a 70-65 win in their do-or-die NCAA Season 101 juniors basketball quarterfinals bout on Sunday at the Filoil Centre.
The victory allowed the twice-to-beat Squires to avoid a repeat of last season, when they squandered their playoff advantage and lost to De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde–La Salle Green Hills in the semifinals.
With the win, Letran not only clinched the last Final Four berth but also dethroned the defending champion Perpetual Junior ALTAs.
Letran now joins Emilio Aguinaldo College, Mapua University, and Arellano University in the semifinals.
Nathan Egea came up clutch and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds while Alvin Villanueva and Harvey Macadangdang chipped in 14 and 12 markers apiece to help Letran avoid collapse amid a Perpetual fourth-quarter comeback.
Justin Cargo was also huge, posting a double-double effort of 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The quartet shone all game long, helping the Squires maintain control for nearly the entire contest. But the Junior ALTAs showed their championship poise, staging a rally late and grabbing their biggest lead when Arkin Cristobal split his charities for a 61–60 edge with 2:47 left in the fourth.
A Jim Corpuz layup would then give the Las Piñas crew a 63-62 advantage.
Egea then flipped the switch and put together a pair of baskets, including a tough long jumper over the outstretched arm of Don Rosales, to send Letran back to a three-point lead at 66-63.
Corpuz tried to pump life back to Perpetual by completing a floater with 27 seconds left, but Mico Pascual converted a layup of his own on the other end before Egea sealed it with two freebies as Letran marched to the Final Four.
Cristobal carried the fight for Perpetual with a gallant double-double outing of 15 points and 11 rebounds while Rosales and Corpuz chimed in with 12 and 11 markers each.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
