Letran has now dashed to a 4-0 run after losing three straight at the start of Season 101.

With four straight wins in the bag, the Knights look like a team reborn whose fate has completely about-faced for the better, as they extend their winning streak to four games after taking down the defending champions Mapúa in overtime, 85-82.

The game went back and forth in regulation as Letran and Mapúa exchanged quarter scoring outbursts. 

The Knights owned the first (25-12) and the fourth quarters (25-16), while the Cardinals won the second (26-16) and the third frames (24-12), eventually leading to a 78-all deadlock to send the game into an extra period. 

Burly big man AJ Buensalida was an immovable force in the paint for the Allen Ricardo-coached squad, pouring in 16 points, 10 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals in his most productive outing so far donning the Letran uniform.

The 6-foot-5 Davaoeño– a transferee from the DLSU Green Archers and a former national youth team standout– shot with an impressive 70% field goal clip, earning him the best player of the game nod. 

Jimboy Estrada atoned for his poor 4-of-17 field goal shooting and still topped all scorers with 20 markers, 12 of which he extracted from the free throw line courtesy of his aggressive play that baited Mapua’s defenders all game long. 

Defensive-minded center Kevin Santos also chipped in big time for the Knights, scattering 17 points laced with 9 boards with 3 swats, while Cebuano ace Jonathan Manalili– Season 101’s leader in assists– orchestrated Letran’s offense and almost flirted with yet another triple-double with a 14-6-10 stat line. 

Letran’s win spoiled an eruptive performance from Mapúa transferee Cyrus Nitura, who turned up offensively for the Cardinals with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Cyril Gonzales contributed 17 markers in the losing effort, while Season 99 Rookie-MVP Clint Escamis finally broke his scoring slump and added 14 but had palpable difficulties performing in the clutch. 

Escamis, who was trying to bounce back from an abysmal 1-of-11 shooting in his past two games, finished with 14 markers embellished with 3 rebounds and 5 assists, but struggled to convert from the freebie line in the dying moments of the overtime period that could’ve given Mapua a one-point advantage.