NCAA: Vengeful Knights wallop Chiefs, 72-58

This time, Letran made sure victory won’t slip out of its grasp. Learning their lessons well from their previous setback, the Knights vented their ire against the shorthanded Arellano Chiefs and scored a 72-58 triumph in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan Monday. The Knights overcame a shaky start by playing well in the second half to repulse the Chiefs. Veteran center Jam Cortes put up monster numbers of 19 points and 21 rebounds as the Muralla-based squad improved its record to four wins and seven losses. Letran bounced back from a stunning 63-61 loss to nearby rivals Mapua on Wednesday. In that game, the Knights held a 14-point lead with three minutes left in the game only to see the Cardinals mounted a big endgame windup and dealt them a sound beating. "In our two previous losses, we had a strong start, but we managed to lose steam," said Letran coach Louie Alas. "Somehow, the results of this game was a complete contrast because we started slow." Unlike in their previous losses to Mapua and Arellano, the Knights started slow as they trailed, 2-10, and 7-17, early in the first period. But they were able to turn things around in the second quarter to grab a 33-29. Still, it failed to satisfy Alas, who ordered his players to jog around the venue as punishment for several defensive lapses. "They don't want to run on defense, so I told them that they might as well run without guarding any player," said Alas. Cortes' 21 rebounds tied Mapua's Mark Sarangay for the most number of rebounds this season. Eleven of Cortes’ rebounds came form the offensive board. "That's what we wanted Jam to do. Every game, he should have a double-double effort," said Alas. Franz Dysam had 17 points, three rebounds and four assists while Jaypee Belencion made 14 points despite a poor 5-of-18 shooting. Letran held a shaky 53-51 lead after three quarters, then erupted in the payoff period as Belencion hit one of four triples while Dysam drilled in five consecutive points, including a trey, to give the Knights a 69-56 lead with 2:31 left. - RCJ, GMANews.TV