The San Juan de Letran Knights secured their first victory in the best-of-three championship series in he NCAA Men’s Basketball finals as they defeated the San Beda Red Lions in Game One on Friday at the MOA Arena. The Letran vs. San Beda game ended with a morale-boosting 94-90 victory.
Letran’s Kevin Racal capped his game-long heroics with a putback of his own crucial miss that made it 89-85 and finally finished in a career-high 28 points for Letran’s victory over the Red Lions.
Fellow Letran Knights Rey Nambatac, who forms the core of the Knights’ first unit together with Racal and Mark Cruz, sealed the victory with a textbook spin off San Beda’s pro-bound Baser Amer in the last 10 seconds and scored an unchallenged drive as the Knights moved a win away from nailing their first championship in 10 years.
The inspired Knights also drew inspiration from boxing icon Many Pacquiao, who made his first ever appearance for the Knights as team manager and gave a pep talk to the Knights before the game.
San Beda’s veteran Baser Amer and Arthur dela Cruz were held to a combined 15-point output as they flubbed 11 of their combined 16 shots, leaving the scoring load to Nigerian teammate Ola Adeogun who finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds.
The scores
Letran 94 – Racal 28, Nambatac 18, Cruz 17, Luib 16, Sollano 9, Quinto 4, Balagasay 2, Apreku 0, Balanza 0, Calvo 0
San Beda 90 – Adeogun 23, Koga 10, Sara 10, Soberano 9, Amer 8, Tankoua 8, dela Cruz 7, Tongco 5, Mocon 4, Sorela 4, Presbiterio 2, Cabanag 0, Reyes 0, Bonsubre 0, Sedillo 0
Quarterscores: 22-21; 39-41; 61-62; 94-90
