Letran squeaks past Lyceum for 1st Filoil win

MANILA, Philippines – The Letran Knights harried, clawed and taunted by the Lyceum Pirates all match long, showed their championship mettle in the clutch to win their inaugural Filoil Flying V Premier Cup match, 89-84, at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan last Friday, May 6.

 

Rey Nambatac hit two triples, one to break at 72-all deadlock for the last time, and a crucial lay-up in the fourth quarter to lead the Knights. 

 

It was the Knights who had to play catch up for the most part with Lyceum who were buoyed by their first win of the tournament over Mapua, 91-82, last Wednesday, May 4. After Lyceum’s Shaq Allanes hit back to back triples to give the Pirates a 30-24 lead at the start of the second period, Letran found its stabilizing force in Bong Quinto who tallied 10 points, two assists, two steals, and one block.

 

Come pay-off period, it was Nambatac who delivered the killer blows to the Pirates who were led by Wilson Baltazar’s 19 points and Joseph Gabayni’s 12 markers.

 

“We aren’t fully satisfied with our team’s efforts,” said Letran’s new coach Jeff Napa. “We still have a long way to go.” Napa, who won three titles with the National University Bulpups in the UAAP Juniors division, pointed to his team’s 20 turnovers. “We might have scored more turnover points but we kept giving the ball away in crucial situations.” 

 

Letran turned the ball over six times in the fourth period alone.

 

With 1:44 left in the match and Letran leading 87-82, Knights point guard McJour Luib floated a lazy pass to Nambatac that Baltazar intercepted. The latter scooted in for a lay-up but lost the handle on the ball. Lyceum forced another turnover but Gabayni muffed two free throws. Lyceum managed another stop when Reymar Caduyac stole the ball from Nambatac after which he scored on a lay-up to make it 84-87 with 47 second left. 

 

Nambatac redeemed himself with a layup and Lyceum missed a triple to close down the gap as time ran out. “We had our chances,” noted LPU head coach Topex Robinson. “Hopefully, we will learn from this.”

 

During last year’s Premier Cup under then first year head coach Aldin Ayo, the Knights held opponents to 65 points and 39% field goal shooting in nine matches. In their first match of the 2016 tourney, they surrendered 84 points and allowed Lyceum to hit 49% of their shots. “Right now, I’d say we’re close to getting the new system,” offered Nambatac in the vernacular. The fourth year shooting guard backstopped Quinto’s 18 points and eight rebounds with 17 points of his own. “We’ll get there. But right now, we learn as we go.”

 

In other matches, the Lyceum Junior Pirates shocked NCAA champion San Beda Red Cubs with a pulsating 81-78 win behind the 21 points and 16 rebounds of 6’7” center Erlan Umpad.