Knights overpower Lions, force Game 3

Game tomorrow  (MOA Arena)

2 p.m. – San Beda vs Letran

MANILA, Philippines - Letran got back at San Beda and Ola Adeogun as the Knights clamped down on the Red Lions in the fourth quarter to eke out a 79-74 victory and force a deciding Game Three in the 89th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the MOA Arena yesterday.

The Knights, who gave up 33 fourth quarter points in the series opener won by the Lions, 80-68, last Monday, limited the defending three-peat champions to just 23 this time while scoring 25 points of their own, enabling the Muralla-based squad to even their best-of-three series to one-game apiece.

The sudden death is set at 2 p.m. tomorrow, also at the MOA, with Letran snatching the proverbial momentum and gaining the confidence needed to nail a league-best tying 17th championship.

“We made an extra effort to correct our Game One mistakes by not allowing Ola (Adeogun) and San Beda to score at will in the fourth quarter,” said Letran coach Caloy Garcia. “In Game One, they scored 33 points, we managed to limit them to just 23 on this game, which really helped us.”

Adeogun, who poured in 14 of his 16-point output in the second half in the series opener, was held to just 10 points as the Knights doubled and even applied a triple teaming defense on the power-playing San Beda behemoth.

“It will be hard to beat San Beda if Ola had a great game so it helped that he struggled here,” said Garcia.

Diminutive Mark Cruz played big, bucking a dislocated thumb to pace the Knights with 16 points, including 10 in the fourth period where they thwarted a late, desperate fightback by the Lions.

“I didn’t think of the pain, all I want is a win and I’m happy we got it,” said Cruz. 

Raymond Almazan, the third overall pick in this year’s PBA rookie draft who received his MVP trophy at halftime, lived up to his pre-game vow to help stop Adeogun, spiking his defensive effort with 12 points.

“It was a team effort, I just helped slow Ola down,” said Almazan.

Garcia also credited his bench, specifically Reneford Ruaya, John Tambeling, Mcjour Luib and Jamil Gabawan, for stepping up in a game they could not afford to lose.

The four, in fact, have combined for 31 points and 13 rebounds.

“I knew if we want to have a chance at beating San Beda we would need our bench to make big plays. And today (yesterday) my bench did just that,” said Garcia.