Last season's finalists Colegio de San Juan de Letran and University of Perpetual Help System DALTA gutted out contrasting wins to kick things off in the NCAA Season 100 juniors basketball tournament on Monday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
The new-look Squires pulled away late to turn back a feisty Lyceum of the Philippines University, 63-45, as the wards of new head coach Willie Miller sent a statement for their title defense.
Second-year Jhuniel Dela Rama led the show for the three-peat seeking Letran, posting a double-double effort of 14 points and 11 rebounds while Syrex Silorio came alive in the crucial fourth quarter and finished with 12 markers, two boards, two steals, and two blocks.
"Nakakatuwa na although maraming lapses 'yung teams, pero nailabas naman 'yung pinrepare namin sa practices," Miller, a two-time PBA MVP and a Letran legend, said.
"Gigil e pero expected naman [sa players] kasi first game jitters. They're doing well at practice and I think gusto nila na it will automatically come out in the game. Hindi e, every game is different."
[It's good because even if the teams had a lot of lapses, we were able to show what we prepared in practices. We were too excited but that was expected of the players because of first game jitters. They're doing well at practice and I think they want it to automatically come out in the game. It isn't like that, every game is different.]
Separated by just 11 points at the end of the third, Letran turned to its old reliable in Silorio, who buried back-to-back triples to make it a 57-39 lead in the fourth.
Tim Cruz and Dela Rama then put on the finishing kick as Letran proved it remains lethal even after the departure of old usual suspects like George Diamante, Titing Manalili, and Jovel Baliling.
In the second game, Season 99 runner-up finishers Junior ALTAs needed to fend off a late barrage unleashed by the gutsy Mapua University en route to a narrow 86-80 victory.
6-foot-7 youngster Lebron Jhames Daep flirted with a double-double of 20 points and nine rebounds along with three assists, three blocks, and one steal while Jan Roluna tallied 18 markers, five boards, four dimes, four steals, and one block as Perpetual averted a collapse from an 18-point advantage.
Roluna sparked their third-quarter breakaway after fueling a 16-2 run to open the frame, highlighted by two dunks that allowed the Junior Altas to create a 57-46 cushion.
But the Red Robins banked on the hot hands of Noah Banal, whose 12 points in the payoff period saw Mapua trimming its deficit to just six points, 83-77, with 1:24 to go.
Another corner triple from Ruzzel Del Poso against two defenders allowed Mapua to slice it further to four, 84-80, in the final 53.5 seconds.
But Icee Callangan knocked down a tough baseline jumper that proved to be the dagger for the Las Piñas crew.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
