Nambatac shines late as Letran topples Arellano

Rey Nambatac. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

Rey Nambatac came alive in the fourth quarter as he carried Letran to a huge 82-75 victory over Arellano Tuesday in the NCAA Season 93 men’s basketball tournament at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Misfiring in the first three quarters, the senior swingman torched the Chiefs as he fired 13 of his 15 points, to go with his 12 rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

Nambatac broke out of his funk and paired up with Jeo Ambohot in the fourth quarter as the two gave the Knights the commanding 72-65 lead with 3:50 left to play.

Kent Salado still tried to bring Arellano back in the game, managing to close the gap to five, 77-72 in the final minute, but Nambatac swiftly sank his freebies as Letran did just enough to halt their two-game losing skid.

Ambohot also deserves a praise of his own as he’s starting to emerge as the Knights’ lead big man, tallying 15 markers, 13 boards, and five blocks.

Jeremiah Taladua completed the trifecta of double-double for the Knights with his 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Jerrick Balanza got 12 markers and four boards in the win.

“Finally, we’re able to get a win. It’s a nice buffer for us coming to our next game. Hopefully, we can have a good turnaround and our boys work hard,” said coach Jeff Napa in Filipino.

What adds to Napa’s glee is him seeing that some of his bench players are stepping up and helping the cause for Letran, something he hopes the team could sustain, especially with a home game slated on Thursday against St. Benilde.

“I hope they can still improve. We’re a very young team and it’s a given that all of us are adjusting. Hopefully, the adjustment and the learning will be faster so that it can favor us,” he said.

Lervin Flores tallied a season-best 17 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks in the losing effort for Arellano, while Salado was once again limited to 15 markers, four assists, and three boards.

Their efforts, though, went for naught as the Chiefs lost their second straight game and fell down the standings at 2-3.

The Scores:

LETRAN 82 – Ambohot 15, Nambatac 15, Taladua 13, Balanza 12, Calvo 9, Quinto 8, Balagasay 4, Pascual 4, Mandreza 2, Bernabe 0, Caralipio 0, Gedaria 0.

ARELLANO 75 – Flores 17, Salado 15, Cañete 12, Enriquez 10, Alcoriza 8, Concepcion 5, Dela Cruz 3, Nicholls 3, Taywan 2, Abanes 0, Meca 0, Ongolo Ongolo 0, Padilla 0, Rivera 0.

Quarters: 18-25, 46-38, 57-58, 82-75.