Letran thwarts EAC, gains Final 4 playoff

LETRAN got a huge lift from Jam Cortes in repulsing  Emilio Aguinaldo College, 86-80, last night to gain a playoff for a Final Four berth in the 88th NCAA basketball tournament at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Throwing his weight around inside the paint, Cortes pumped in a career-high 25 points and grabbed 14 boards as the Knights survived a sloppy finish to improve to 11-6.

It was a critical victory for the Knights who are locked in a tight battle for the three remaining Final Four berths with San Sebastian, Perpetual Help and Jose Rizal U.

A victory in their final assignment against the Arellano Chiefs will secure for the Knights a Final Four berth and possibly a playoff for a twice-to-beat bonus.

Cortes, who is in his final playing year for Letran, set the tone for the Knights, firing 17 in the first half where the Knights led by as many as 23 points, 51-28.

When the Knights needed a defensive stop in the final seconds, Cortes also delivered, stripping the ball off a driving Noube Happi to preserve Letran’s advantage.

“The good thing about Jam is that he just doesn’t take a day off,” said Letran coach Louie Alas, whose team won for the seventh time in its last eight outings. “Even in practice, he always plays his heart out. I expect this kind of performance from him.”

While Alas was delighted at Cortes, the multititled coach was critical of his squad’s sloppy play in the final minutes that allowed the Generals to trim a double-digit lead to just four.

“We didn’t play to win in the fourth quarter,” said Alas. “If we want to get to the next level, we can’t play for only 35 minutes and expect to win.”

The Knights got off to a blistering start with Cortes leading the way as Letran opened a 31-14 spread early in the second period.

But the Generals, showing the sharp form that sparked their second round turnaround that fell short, gamely battled through double-digit deficit with senior Russel Yaya holding fort.

Yaya who wound up with a personal season-best 20 points kept the Generals in the game, even after the Knights established a 76-60 lead with 7:30 remaining. His fastbreak layup with 54 seconds left allowed EAC to close in at 78-84.

After a Letran turnover, John Tayongtong hit two free throws to further cut the gap, 80-84. The Generals bungled their chance as Cortes made the defensive play of the game off Happi.

“At least we have one foot inside the Final Four,” said Alas. “We just want to avoid the complications and win our next game.”

Kevin Alas delivered 17 points and dished out eight assists, while Mark Cruz and Kevin Racal chipped in 12 and 10 markers, respectively. Knights center Raymond Almazan, whose return from a seven-game absence coincided with the Letran surge, fouled out just before the end of the third quarter after scoring 10 points.

The scores:
LETRAN 86—Cortes 25, Alas 17, Cruz 12, Racal 10, Almazan 10, Belorio 6, Gabawan 4, Lituania 2, Luib 0.

EAC 80—Yaya 20, Tayongtong 15, Happi 12, Morada 9, Jamon 8, Paguia 6, Monteclaro 4, Chiong 4, Pillas 2, Munsayac 0, King 0, Sanchez 0.

Quarters: 27-14, 51-31, 69-56, 86-80.