San Beda outlasts Letran after two OTs in Filoil opener

PHOTO BY CELEST R. FLORES

MANILA, Philippines—No one gave an inch on the floor for 50 minutes, and yet it was only their first game in the pre-season.

Rivals San Beda and Letran picked up where they left off the last NCAA finals and battled for five intense quarters with the Red Lions surviving, 99-96, in the 2014 Filoil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup.

“We fought and played heart. We’re happy we came out with the win. I know they’re tired but their lion heart is there,” said head coach Boyet Fernandez.

San Beda trailed Letran for most of the match, no thanks to its 15-28 second period production. But it was an entirely different story after the Red Lions caught up in the payoff period.

No side led by more than six points in the last six minutes of regulation and by more than three in the extra periods, but San Beda got a huge break with Letran’s top five scorers all fouling out.

A 6-0 run from the Red Lions gave them the lead for good en route to their first win with 1:08 left in second OT as Baser Amer took over and accounted for half of that run.

Amer finished with 28 points on 9-of-13 field goal shooting and 11-of-16 freethrows, along with seven boards, three assists and two steals.

NCAA finals MVP Art Dela Cruz added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Red Lions, who attempted 50 from the stripe.

San Beda got 11 of its last 18 points in regulation from freebies, which gave them a 78-76 lead with 43.4 seconds left.

Veteran forward Kevin Racal tied the game and sent it into OT on a fastbreak layup off a swipe by Mark Cruz with 12.3 ticks to play.

Racal also extended the match to another OT with two freebies, but fouled out with two minutes left in that extension.

Cruz led the Knights’ valiant effort with 18 points, Ford Ruaya added 18, Rey Nambatac and Jamik Gabawan 11 each, and Racal nine, but all didn’t get to finish the match.

The Knights, who got badly beat in the offensive glass, 6-25, always managed to get the upper hand in both overtimes, but failed sustain the momentum.

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