The mighty Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights completed a 12-game sweep of NCAA Season 97 as they dispatched the Mapua University Cardinals, 75-65, in Game 2 of the title series on Sunday at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
It was a second consecutive championship for Letran following their conquest of NCAA Season 95 back in 2019 and the 19th overall men’s basketball title for the school. It was also Letran's first back-to-back since the 1998 and 1999 seasons.
Rhenz Abando, who was earlier named the Season 97 Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player, led the Knights with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks in the clincher.
Jeo Ambohot, a member of the league's Mythical Five, added 13 points and nine boards in the win while Louie Sangalang finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
Letran established their game early with Allen Mina, Brent Paraiso, and Kurt Reyson all knocking down triples for the Knights, who closed the first quarter with a 19-8 advantage.
They kept a foot on the gas pedal in the second quarter, with their second unit leading the way. The Letran bench contributed 16 of the team’s 20 points in the second as they extended their lead to 16 points, 39-23, at the break.
The Knights pushed their lead up to a high of 21 points early in the third as they pounded it down low, courtesy of an Ambohot post-up and a Louie Sangalang putback, 44-23.
But a resilient Mapua refused to wilt that early.
Despite going 0-for-14 on perimeter shooting to start the game, the Cardinals kept shooting and finally saw their shots start to drop as Rence Nocum and Paolo Hernandez connected on threes as part of a 9-1 counter run that got them back to within 13 points, 45-32.
Brian Lacap then took over late, accounting for eight of Mapua’s 11 points in one stretch, including two triples and a floater that got them to as close as seven points, 55-48, before Letran restored some order thanks to free throws from Fran Yu and Abando, 58-48.
Ambohot and Sangalang helped build the Letran lead back up but a 7-0 by Mapua courtesy of Arvin Gamboa and Warren Bonifacio made it a six-point game, 68-62, with less than three minutes left in the game. Hernandez would add a triple to get the Cardinals as close as five, 70-65.
But some timely buckets and free throws from Abando and Sangalang sealed the win and the title for the Knights.
The Cardinals were led by Paolo Hernandez, the league's Most Improved Player, and Rence Nocum, who each scored 14 apiece.
The Knights completed a rare sweep of the NCAA season, something that hasn't been accomplished since 2010.
They swept the single-round eliminations, 9-0, before defeating University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in the Final Four.
Despite a gutsy effort from Mapua, the Knights also swept the best-of-three title series in two games.
The scores:
Letran 75 - Abando 14, Ambohot 13, Sangalang 11, Caralipio 9, Javillonar 8, Reyson 7, Yu 6, Paraiso 3, Mina 3, Olivario 1, Fajarito 0.
Mapua 65 - Hernandez 14, Nocum 14, Lacap 12, Gamboa 10, Pido 7, Bonifacio 6, Mercado 2, Agustin 0, Asuncion 0, Garcia 0.
Quarters: 19-8, 39-23, 58-48, 75-65.
—JMB, GMA News
