FilOil: Letran shuts down UP late, wins back-to back

The Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights held the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons scoreless for more than four minutes in a crucial fourth quarter stretch that proved to be the turning point of their 64-55 win, Friday in the FilOil Flying V Pre-season Tournament at the Arena in San Juan. The Maroons threatened throughout the game, and were within a field goal early in the final period, 51-49 after a Paolo Romero spin move, but they'd go quiet up until the 2:10 mark, when a Mark Lopez split at the line made it 56-50. By the time UP finally connect on a field goal again, a Mike Silungan triple, the score read 60-53 with 54.5 seconds remaining, which was just not enough time for a comeback. Head coach Louie Alas challenged his boys to close out the game strongly once more, after their win over the Perpetual Help Altas. "Try to do it consecutively," he told them, and his team responded in kind. Letran thwart UP attempts Mark Cruz then iced the game with two charities with 38 seconds left, and Kevin Racal capped his squad's performance with a turnaround jumper. Mike Gamboa then added a last shot for UP to arrive at the final score. The two sides exchanged baskets in the first quarter until Raymond Almazan and Mark Cruz hit back-to-back shots to give their side a 20-15 lead after ten minutes. UP strung together a 6-0 run that tied the score at the onset of the second, 21-all, but Cruz once again killed their run, nailing Letran's sole triple of the game. Out of the halftime break, the Knights grew their advantage from the foul line, 35-28, but halved free throws by Silungan and Romero jumper at the 3:33 mark of the third tied things at 38-all, before Jonathan Belorio created separation anew, 46-43 with a quarter remaining. Jett Manuel lived up to his side's monicker by canning a jump shot that pulled his side to within a point, 48-47 at the 9:02 mark of the fourth, but after a Jam Cortes lay-up and a freebie by Kevin Racal came Romero's spin move and the ensuing drought by the UP side. "Di pa kami pumapasok sa quarters ditto [the FilOil tournament]," Alas said after the game. "Yun ang target namin." Jam Cortes just missed a double-double, punching in 20 points to go with his nine rebounds, while Mark Cruz, whose older brother was famed UP point guard Marvin Cruz, torched the Maroons for 16 points on 50 percent shooting. He also had two rebounds and four assists for Letran. 6'7" NCAA Most Improved Player Raymond Almazan came off the bench for seven points and a dominant 17 boards and four rejections. As the dust cleared Mike Silungan was the sole Maroon in double-figures with 15 points, 12 coming from outside the arc, where he was 4-of-11 and responsible for all of his side's triples. Mark Lopez added nine points, and sophomores Paolo Romero and Jett Manuel combined for 14 markers and nine rebounds. Letran relied as always on their tenacious pressure defense, which forced the Maroons into 18 turnovers, which the Knights converted into 22 turnover points. "Yung pressure namin fueled our offense," said Coach Alas, whose side committed five less miscues and allowed just seven turnover points themselves. Making the Knights' back-to-back wins more impressive is the fact that both came without the Alas brothers, Mythical Five member Kevin and brother Junjun. Kevin is currently rehabbing from a foot injury suffered during practice with his PBA-DL team, while Junjun hyper-extended his knee. Both were seen in street clothes on the Letran side. With the win, Letran improved to 3-2, a loss behind 3-1 DLSU, while UP dropped to 1-5, with just two games left on their card, both UAAP opponents, the UE Red Warriors and the UST Growling Tigers. — ELR, GMA News The scores: CSJL 64 - Cortes 20, Cruz 16, Racal 9, Belorio 8, Almazan 7, Lituania 2, Pantin 2, Gabriel 0, Luib 0, Gabawan 0 UP 55 - Silungan 15, Lopez 9, Romero 8, Manuel 6, Ball 4, Montecastro 4, Soyud 3, Mbah 2, Gamboa 2, Asilum 2, Hipolito 0, Weirzba 0, Gallarza 0 Quarter-scoring: 20-15, 32-28, 46-43, 64-55 FilOil 051812 FEU vs JRU