PESKY Jose Rizal University scored a 90-86 stunner over Letran to notch its first win in the second round of the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
Backup wing Mart Barrera and Joshua Guiab came through for the Heavy Bombers in the second half to hold off the Knights and made it back to the win column.
Barrera, a former player of coach Louie Gonzales at De La Salle, had 14 of his team-high 22 in the last two quarters, while Guiab 11 of his 19 points in the same stretch including clutch free throws in the endgame that doomed a rallying Letran side.
Guiab went 10-of-11 from the foul line to help the Heavy Bombers improve to 4-9 and stay in the running for a Final Four berth.
“Para sa akin kasi if we drop this one, hindi na butas ng karayom ang dadaanan namin for a chance to make it to the Final Four,” said Gonzales later on.
“At least ngayon medyo lumaki yung butas. But again, it’s going to be hard long way up.”
But the victory wasn’t in the bag for the Heavy Bombers until Guiab hit three of four free throws and Jimboy Estrada lost the handle in the final 19 seconds that made it a 90-84 contest for the Mandaluyong-based school.
“Hindi naging madali yung laro,” admitted Gonzales. “We’re able to survive this. And at least, we’re able to convert three crucial free throws down the end.”
Estrada finished with a game-high 29 points, including 18 in the first half, while Fil-Am guard Jace Miller had 16, but held to just a point in the second half for Letran.
The Knights lost their fourth game in five outings in the second round and fell to an even 7-7 card, but still enough to cling at solo fourth place in the standings.
The scores
Jose Rizal University 90 -- Barrera 22, Guiab 19, De Leon 10, Argente 9, Ramos 7, Bernardo 7, Sarmiento 7, Raymundo 6, Pangilinan 3, Panapanaan 0, De Jesus 0, Lozano 0, Benitez 0, Mosqueda 0.
Letran 86-- Estrada 29, Miller 16, Cuajao 13, Go 9, Jumao-As 7, Montecillo 6, Nunag 3, Santos 2, Javillonar 1, Dimaano 0.
Quarters: 28-22; 45-48; 63-61; 90-86.
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