EAC, Letran triumph

Jeric Diego of EAC and JRU’s Abdul Wahab battle for position for the rebound. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Finally figuring out a way to cope with the absence of its prized big man, Emilio Aguinaldo College brought down another contender Tuesday in NCAA Season 93.

Sidney Onwubere exploded for 28 points, but it was diminutive guard Francis Munsayac who made the biggest plays down the stretch as the Generals subdued the Jose Rizal U Heavy Bombers, 88-84, to stay within Final Four range at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Atoning for missed opportunities in previous games when the Generals relied on his shotmaking, Munsayac did not disappoint with an assist and a key basket inside the last minute as the Generals completed an impressive comeback for their sixth win in 12 games.

“We’re very thankful for this win because we’ve been struggling to adjust without (Hamadou) Laminou,” said EAC coach Ariel Sison. The 6-foot-8 Laminou has been sidelined for more than a month after sustaining a season-ending ACL injury.

Letran also improved to 6-6, while gifting coach Jeff Napa a victory on his 37th birthday as the Knights turned back the Arellano Chiefs, 84-73, in the second game.

JP Calvo and Bong Quinto fired 20 points each for the Knights, who led by as large as 18 points in the third period. Still, Letran went through anxious moments when the Chiefs closed in at 73-79 with 37 seconds remaining only for Calvo to stop the bleeding with a triple.

“At least, we’re back on the win column,” said Napa. “It’s an important win because it’s a tight race from No. 3 to No. 6 and a lot of things can happen.”