Arellano’s Cade Flores. NCAA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Arellano took down defending champion Letran, 72-69, in the NCAA Season 98 men’s basketball tournament at San Juan Arena on Sunday.
The win snapped the Knights’ 14-game winning streak dating back to Game 3 of the NCAA Season 95 Finals.
“This is what I always tell my players, it feels so good to play if your opponent is the defending champion or the very strong teams because that’s where our plays shine. Just follow our system and we might win,” said Arellano head coach Cholo Martin after steering his team to a 3-1 record.
Cade Flores led the way for Arellano with 18 points and nine rebounds. Axel Doromal added 14 points, including a free throw that set the final count. Wilmar Oftana and Joshua Abastillas chipped in 13 and 10, respectively.
Kurt Reyson missed a potential game-tying triple for the Knights, who blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and slid to 1-1.
Facing a 56-47 deficit, Arellano uncorked a 16-2 run to overtake Letran, 63-58.
King Caralipio and Louie Sangalang tried to restore order for Letran, combining for seven points to make it a three-point game inside the last three minutes. Caralipio and Sangalang finished with 19 and 16 points, respectively.