SAN JUAN, Philippines — Colegio de San Juan de Letran made another emphatic statement in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament, overwhelming San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 99-62, on Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.
The 37-point victory pushed the Knights to a 2-0 record in Group B, giving them sole possession of first place in the group at the time of the result. San Sebastian, meanwhile, dropped to 0-2.
Letran gradually turned the contest into a one-sided affair through suffocating defense and a balanced offensive attack.
The Knights broke the game open in the second quarter, unleashing an 8-0 run that left San Sebastian struggling to generate offense. The Stags finally ended their scoring drought when Khit Barroga knocked down a three-pointer with 4:33 remaining in the period.
Letran continued to pile on the pressure before halftime. Titing Manalili converted a layup following an inbound steal, extending the Knights’ advantage to 49-27 at the break.
The momentum never shifted.
Manalili later found Chad Gammad for a reverse layup that pushed Letran’s lead to 69-39 in the third quarter. The Knights entered the final period comfortably ahead, 75-47, before finishing off the Stags with another strong offensive showing.
The result also marked a sharp contrast between the two Group B teams early in the season. Letran opened Season 102 with an 84-77 victory over the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, while San Sebastian began its campaign with a 98-72 loss to Arellano University. GMA News reported that Arellano jumped to a 10-0 start in that game and never relinquished control.
San Sebastian’s 99-62 defeat also extended its losing skid to six games, counting four losses carried over from Season 101.
What comes next?
Letran will look to maintain its unbeaten start when it faces Arellano University on September 21 at 5 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
San Sebastian will try to bounce back against Perpetual on September 22 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
With Letran already sitting at 2-0 and showing the ability to win through both defense and offensive balance, the Knights have quickly positioned themselves as one of the early teams to watch in the NCAA Season 102 Group B race.
The next matchup against Arellano should provide another early test of whether Letran can sustain the momentum it has built in the opening games.
