The undefeated Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights survived a close call against a gutsy University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Altas, 77-75, to advance into the NCAA Season 97 men’s basketball finals on Sunday.
The defending champion Knights, who held a twice-to-beat advantage in this Final Four series, won their 10th straight game this season after a 9-0 sweep of the elimination round.
Rhenz Abando scored 24 points, including several highlight-reel plays, to lead top-seeded Letran past #4 ranked Perepetual and through to the finals.
The Knights' star forward shot 9-for-16 (56.3-percent) from the field, knocked down three triples, and tallied three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block in a stellar performance.
Jeo Ambohot tallied a double-double with 14 points and 14 boards while point guard Fran Yu added 13 markers, including seven of Letran's last nine points.
Perpetual was ready to stand toe-to-toe with Letran, as they exchanged blows with the defending champions early in the game. Despite still missing veteran Kim Aurin, the rest of the Altas, led by Jielo Razon and Jef Egan, led 15-13 late in the opening period.
It took a late 7-2 run from Abando and the Knights for Letran to take the lead 20-17 after one.
The Altas did even better in the second period as they got huge contributions from guys like Cris Pagaran and JP Boral to outscore the favored Knights by six, 22-16, to reclaim the advantage, 39-36, at the half.
Abando did everything he could to keep his team in the game, scoring 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting while Jeo Ambohot also played big with 10 points and five boards in the first half.
Egan paced Perpetual with 10 first half points.
The Knights then flexed their muscles in the third as they went on an 11-2 run to open up the margin, 56-48. The run featured baskets from Ambohot, Louie Sangalanag, and Brent Paraiso, as well as five points from Abando, who capped it with a big three-pointer for his 20th point of the game.
Abando would later finish on a highlight-reel alley-oop dunk from Fran Yu as the Knights closed the third period ahead, 62-55.
But Perpetual wasn’t about to lay down for Letran in the fourth.
Down by eight, 66-58, the Altas responded with a 13-5 run, including a huge and-one and a free throw from Razon that tied the game at 71-apiece with 3:18 remaining.
Yu then made two big shots, plus an extra free throw, but each was answered by UPHSD, first by Razon then the other by Egan. That set up a wild finish with the Knights leading by only one point, 76-75, heading into the final minute.
Neither team could find that winning play in the next few possessions, though, as Perpetual’s Mark Omega missed two free throws, Paraiso missed on a shot up close, and Pagaran failed to convert on a jumper on the other end as well.
That gave Letran the ball back with the slim lead and only 8.6 seconds left on the clock.
Yu got a split from the charity stripe to extend the lead to two and Razon missed a last-ditch attempt to steal the win at the end.
Razon, who scored 10 big points in the fourth, finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists to lead the Altas while Egan contributed 14 points on 6-for-8 (75-percent) shooting from the field.
Those numbers weren't enough to keep their surprising season from coming to an end, though.
Before this game, this gutsy Perpetual squad survived three straight knockout games, from the elimination round to the play-in round, to book their place in the Final Four.
They also had to contend with the absence of one of their top guns in Aurin, who came down with a case of chicken pox and missed their last two games.
The scores:
Letran 77 - Abando 24, Ambohot 14, Yu 13, Paraiso 7, Sangalang 7, Olivario 5, Javillonar 4, Reyson 2, Mina 1, Caralipio 0, Fajarito 0.
Perpetual 75 - Razon 21, Egan 14, Abis 11, Pagaran 8, Omega 7, Boral 6, Barcuma 4, Cuevas 4, Martel 0, Kawamura 0, Sevilla 0.
Quarters: 20-17, 36-39, 62-55, 77-75.
—JMB, GMA News
