NCAA: Clutch Jimboy Estrada propels Letran in escape vs. Perpetual

Although the game had no bearing on the standings, Letran still had one more fight to win in the eliminations and Jimboy Estrada made sure the Knights got the last laugh with a game-winning triple to seal an 85-83 victory over Perpetual on Tuesday.

Down by one with just 6.9 seconds left, Letran turned to Titing Manalili, who had struggled offensively throughout the game, to inbound the ball to Denzil Sison-Walker.

The Fil-Am guard then found Estrada, who took one dribble before stepping back and banking in a three-pointer to snatch the victory for the Knights even after wasting a lead as high as 15.

The clutch basket capped a stellar outing for Estrada as he finished with 19 points, three rebounds, and four assists to help Letran close its elimination-round campaign with a 9-4 record. The loss, meanwhile, dropped Perpetual to 4-9 ahead of its play-in match against San Sebastian.

Estrada's heroics spared Letran from a potential collapse.

The Knights went off early, dropping six triples, including three from Chad Gammad, in the first quarter to take a 33-21 lead. But the ALTAs slowly crawled their way back behind former Junior ALTAs stars Jericho Cristino and Jim Corpuz, pulling to within two by halftime, 45-43.

Perpetual even took a 10-point cushion when Cristino sank a layup that sent the Las Piñas crew to a 67-57 lead late in the third period.

But Letran's old reliables stepped up when it mattered most.

Manalili checked back into the game for the first time in the fourth quarter at the 5:05 mark and immediately made his presence felt despite going 0-of-4 from the field. He sank two free throws before adding a layup---his first field goal in the game---to give the Knights a slim 82-81 lead with just 21.5 seconds remaining.

Perpetual briefly regained a one-point advantage after JM Tulabut knocked down a mid-range jumper, but Estrada had the final say with his game-winning triple as Letran extended its winning streak over the ALTAs to five games dating back to last season.

Letran will now head to the quarterfinals, where it will battle whoever wins between the play-in match between Mapua and Lyceum. Perpetual, meanwhile, will have a twice-to-beat bonus when it takes on San Sebastian in their own play-in bracket.

—JMB, GMA News