THE Knights picked up right where they left off against the Altas.
Letran once again got the better of Perpetual, this time opening NCAA Season 102 with an 84-77 victory on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena to make it three straight wins over their semifinal foes from a year ago.
After beating the Altas twice in the Season 101 semifinals, the Knights just re-asserted their mastery to barge into the win column right away.
But they first had to survive a late scare before pulling away.
With the game tied at 74-all with 2:30 left, Letran took charge behind Aaron Buensalida and Kevin Santos, who helped restore a five-point cushion before Titing Manalili drove to the basket to make it 81-74 with 43.7 seconds remaining.
Perps refused to go quietly, as Jan Pagulayan drilled a triple with 33.4 seconds left to cut the deficit to 81-77 only to see Justin Cargo take over.
“Ever since, since yung after Filoil (Preseason), talagang we need to get back to work, especially ang liit ng lineup namin eh. So, yun lang yung isa sa mga sandata namin na pressure, pressure, pressure,” head coach Allen Ricardo.
The rookie blocked Pagulayan and Juan Tulabut and grabbed a crucial defensive rebound with 9.3 seconds to go before calmly sinking two free throws to finish the job on the Knights’ triumphant opener.
Knights' newcomers star
Cargo turned impressed off the bat in his first time on the collegiate level with eight points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two clutch blocks, while fellow debutant Denzel Sison-Walker led the Knights with 21 points, two steals, a rebound, an assist, and a block before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter.
Jimboy Estrada also finished with 18 points, six assists, and four rebounds, as Manalili, despite getting into foul trouble early, still put together an all-around effort with 12 points, eight assists, four steals, and two rebounds.
On the other end, sophomore Pagulayan provided a bright spot for coach Olsen Racela, tallying 18 points, six rebounds, and two assists, while Anthony Gelsano and LA Casinillo chipped in 11 points apiece.
The Scores:
LETRAN 84 - Walker 21, Estrada 18, Santos 15, Manalili 12, Cargo 8, Buensalida 5, Gammad 3, Diamante 2, Montecillo 0, Reyes 0, Hugo 0.
PERPETUAL 77 - Pagulayan 18, Gesano 11, Casinillo 11, Gojo Cruz 8, Tulabut 8, Orgo 7, Cauguiran 3, Cristino 3, Maglupay 2, Duremdes 0, Roluna 0, Corpuz 0.
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