Knights stop roaring Lions

Letran kept its hot-streak going while stopping San Beda on its tracks as it scored a 68-58 victory yesterday to gain a big twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four of the 81st NCAA basketball tournament at the Astrodome.

Frederick Rodriguez and Boyet Bautista came through with 18 and 17 points, respectively, but it was back-up guard JP Alcaraz who took charge for the Knights in their decisive run in the final period.

Cited as the best player of the week earlier, Alcaraz lived up to the billing as he scored six of his 10 points in the last quarter to spark the Knights’ big run down the stretch that took the fight out of the Red Lions for their 10th straight victory.

It was San Beda’s seventh defeat against three wins and coach Koy Banal’s first in his three games since handling the Mendiola-based team.

"We didn’t allow ourselves to be out-energized by them (San Beda), that was the key," said Letran coach Louie Alas.

The win somehow exorcized the ghost of Letran’s bitter loss to San Beda half a century ago when the Larry Mumar-led Knights lost to the Lions, then their fiercest rivals, after soaring to a 9-0 (win-loss) start.

And Alas just didn’t want a repeat of that setback under his watch.

"This is especially sweet, alam naman natin kasi na grabe ang rivalry ng Letran at San Beda kahit noon pa," said Alas.

Jerome Paterno led all scorers with 19 points but just couldn’t lift the Red Lions in the fourth quarter.

In the juniors division earlier, Mikee Victorino, son of former PBA star Manny Victorino, drained a buzzer-beating triple from mid-court to lift defending champion San Beda to a 60-57 triumph over Letran.

It was the Red Cubs’ seventh win against two losses to gain a share of second spot with the Squires behind the San Sebastian Staglettes (7-1).

In the second game, Leo Najorda, one of the top prospects in the 2005 PBA rookie draft tomorrow, exploded with 26 points as San Sebastian repeated over Perpetual Help, 64-58, to remain inside the magic four.

The Stags now have five wins against the same number of losses, a full two games away from the Lions, the Altas and the St. Benilde Blazers, all with 3-7 cards.