NCAA Finals: Lions roar back, foil Knights to force do-or-die Game 3

By Waylon Galvez

Game Tuesday (Mall of Asia Arena)

1 p.m. – San Beda vs Lyceum (Jrs)

4 p.m. – San Beda vs Letran (Srs)

San Beda kept its bid alive of winning a fourth straight title with a 79-76 win in Game 2 over Letran that forced a do-or-die in the NCAA Season 95 finals series Friday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Calvin Oftana, adjudged the season’s Most Valuable Player before to the game, atoned himself from a lackluster performance in Game 1 where he scored seven points, this time finishing with 17 points.

Oftana’s layup and eventual three-point play off a foul by Bonbon Batiller gave the Red Lions a 77-76 lead with 19.1 seconds left.

Letran had the opportunity to regain the lead coming off a timeout, but Batiller missed a reverse shot and Evan Nelle got the loose ball.

Fouled by Batiller, James Canlas-Kwekuteye converted a pair of free throws that gave them a 79-76 lead with 4.5 to play. Jerrick Balanza’s pass intended for Allen Mina went outside as time expired.

San Beda’s win leveled the best-of-three title series at 1-1 after Letran took the series opener with a 65-64 triumph last Tuesday. Game 3 will be played on Tuesday at the same venue.

“Letran did a good job. Fran Yu… Wow! We’re just lucky that he got cramps,” said San Beda mentor Boyet Fernandez, referring to Letran’s prolific guard Yu, who had 23 points but had to stay on the bench in the final three minutes of the game because of cramps.

“A win is a win. I’m just relieved we got over this game and won this one. They (players) really want to prove something. That’s what characters is, everybody’s all against us (after that loss).”

Canlas-Kwekuteye led the Red Lions with 21 points, while Clint Doliguez added 17 points.

San Beda unloaded a 15-0 start with Canlas-Kwekuteye scoring six points, while Nelle adding five points. Letran finally converted a basket on a three-point play by Jeo Ambohol with 4:09 left in the first period.

The opening period ended with San Beda up 18-7.

Letran trimmed the deficit to three points 18-15 when Bonbon Batiller scattered four points in an 8-0 run during the first two minutes of the second period.

San Beda’s Cameroonian center Donald Tankoua committed his third personal foul with 7:27 left in the second quarter, and Letran tried to capitalize following a pair of free throws by Batiller to trim the lead to 20-17.

Doliquez’s back-to-back three-pointers highlighted a 15-5 run by San Beda, which gave them a 35-22 lead. The Red Lions were up 35-27 at halftime break.

San Beda shot 15-of-34 (44.12%) from the field in the first half, as compared to Letran’s 7-of-29 (24.14%). Also, the Knights had 11 turnovers, which translated to 11 points by the Red Lions.

Scores:

SAN BEDA 79 – Canlas-Kwekuteye 21, Oftana 17, Doliguez 17, Carino 7, Nelle 5, Soberano 5, Cuntapay 3, Tankoua 2, Abuda 2, Bahio 0, Noah 0.

LETRAN 76 – Yu 23, Muyang 17, Batiller 11, Ambohot 9, Balanza 9, Caralipio 7, Olivario 0, Ular 0, Mina 0, Reyson 0, Balagasay 0, Sangalang 0.

Quarters: 18-7; 37-25; 53-56; 79-76.

Source: Manila Bulletin