The Letran Squires held their ground in the final minute and fended off a late La Salle Greenhills’ rally to pull off a 69-66 upset yesterday at the FilOil-Flying V Sports Center in San Juan.
Shawn Umali banged in a game-high 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Squires, who picked up their third win in seven games in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association junior basketball tournament.
Crucial baskets from Umali and Joshua Ramirez in the last 20.4 seconds put a stop to the Greenies’ rally from nine points down at the end of the third period.
A heavily guarded RC Calimag topscored for 19 points, with Kobe Palencia, but he was scoreless for the Greenies all throughout the last period.
Palencia carried the scoring load in the final 10 minutes with nine points, including a layup in the final minute that put the Greenies within range, 63-66.
“Malalaki sila. Tinalo nila ang San Beda nung nakaraan. Pero, ready kami sa kanila. Sabi ko sa kanila. Limahan ang labanan. Kaya gawin lang nila ang trabaho nila,” said Squires’ coach Raymund Valenzuela, who emphasized defense underneath and on the Greenies’ big men.
The Red Cubs are set to meet the Squires in their next encounter.
Later in the day, the NCAA cancelled fives games, including three men’s matches after classes were suspended due to expected heavy rainfall in Metro Manila.
The cancelled senior’s matches were between unbeaten College of St. Benilde and red-hot Letran, defending three-time champion San Beda and Mapua, and Arellano versus San Sebastian, while in the juniors’ were the Red Cubs and Red Robins and Baby Chiefs and Staglets.
Meanwhile, the NCAA Management Committee has unanimously approved a cash donation of P100,000 to the province of Batanes
The donation is victims from the province who were affected after a devastating 5.9 magnitude earthquake late last month.
The financial assistance will be turned over to Batanes provincial officials, led by its governor Marilou Cayco on Saturday during halftime of the Letran College and San Beda University encounter at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
“What we are doing is part of the NCAA advocacy, and the oldest collegiate tournament in the country, as an institution, has helped our fellow Filipinos in need, especially those affected by calamities,” said Cayco.