Alvin Villanueva won it at the buzzer as Colegio de San Juan de Letran escaped Emilio Aguinaldo College, 77-76, in Game 1 of NCAA Season 101 juniors basketball Final Four on Tuesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
That was Villanueva's first and lone triple and proved to be the biggest one as the Squires moved on the verge of a finals return after missing last year's championship round.
Guard Nathan Egea scattered 23 points and seven rebounds while young big man Dhale Lumague churned out 16 markers, eight boards, and one steal off the bench to help the Squires upset the top-seeded Brigadiers.
Kelly Coronel knocked down a huge triple that sent EAC to a slim 75-74 lead in the final 33.3 seconds.
The Brigadiers could have created a much more comfortable separation, but Prince Taganas split his free throws and Tristan Allam missed two freebies altogether to give Letran 5.4 seconds to manufacture a final shot.
And the Squires delivered as Villanueva buried an uncontested corner triple off an Egea assist to salvage Letran from a disastrous ending.
Coronel tallied 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one block while Xyriel Macahipay and Noel Lanceta chipped in 14 and 12 markers each in the heartbreaking loss.
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—JMB, GMA Integrated News
