The Letran Knights can still bounce back and deal the defending champion San Beda Red Knights their second loss of the season, and get away with the crown.
This is what Knights’ coach Bonnie Tan vowed to do after the Red Lions pulled off a 79-76 triumph to tie their best-of-three series after Game 2 of the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball finals.
Despite their loss, Tan is still satisfied at how things went as the Knights were able to hold their ground against the Red Lions in the championship.
The series decider is set on Tuesday.
“No one really expected us to be here and go toe-to-toe with them and also give them their first loss after 32 victories,” said Tan.
This time around, point guard Fran Yu is expected to be in better shape.
In Game 2, Yu kept the Knights in the thick of the fight after they fell behind by as many as 15 points early in the first quarter.
The 21-year-old finished with 23 points, 19 in the second half.
And that was before he got cramps on his left leg in the 3:41 mark of the fourth quarter with the Knights up by six, 72-66 at that time.
Yu’s absence gave the Red Lions the chance to charge back in the game.