Another ‘near win’ by Stags

By Ian Brion

LETRAN bucked a poor start and outsteadied San Sebastian College in the payoff period to hack out a 71-67 win for the solo with an unblemished record in the 84th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament Wednesday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Dino Daa had a monstrous game of 26 points and 17 rebounds for the Knights, who marched to their fourth-straight win, half-a-game ahead of erstwhile coleader and defending champion San Beda.

“Na-challenged kami ’dun sa ginawa nila [San Sebastian] sa San Beda na muntik na silang manalo, kaya binuhos namin lahat. Medyo naging tentative lang kami sa simula, pero mabuti na lang at nakabawi agad kami,” said the veteran slotman Daa, who also dished out three assists.

In the second game, the Heavy Bombers of Jose Rizal University waxed hot in the second half to trounce University of Perpetual Dalta System, 74-57. It was the Heavy Bombers’ second-straight win after a 0-2 start. The Altas absorbed their fourth-consecutive setback after their opening-day win. They joined the Stags and the Dolphins at the bottom of the standings.

Poor shooting and a loose defense saw the Knights trailing by nine, 22-13, at the end of the first quarter.

But the Muralla-based dribblers regained the touch that earned them average winning margins of 12.67 points in their first three matches. The Knights scored nine straight points to level the score and make the contest tight the rest of the way.

The Stags played as stubborn as in their previous game against the Red Lions and were ahead, 48-45, entering the fourth quarter.  A 13-0 Knights run, which Daa, RJ Jazul, Reymar Gutilban and John Foronda engineered, moved them ahead, 58-48, 7:30 left in the match.

The Stags countered with an 8-0 bomb of their own to close in at 56-58, before Daa again connived with fellow big man Alvin Cabonce in giving the Knights the better end of a 10-5 exchange for a 68-61 Letran breather with 1:15 remaining.

Back-to-back baskets by Jim Viray and Jimbo Aquino ignited a 6-1 run that moved the Stags to within 69-67, 11.5 seconds to go. But the Knights wisely wasted the remaining time away to secure the victory. Foronda sealed the final tally with two free throws after the buzzer has sounded.

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