San Beda overcomes late Letran fightback, improves to 11-1

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

San Beda bucked the absence of its go-to guy Robert Bolick late and survived Letran, 74-68, in the NCAA Season 94 men’s basketball tournament Tuesday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Bolick fouled out with 57.3 ticks left but the Red Lions found other heroes in Donald Tankoua and Jo Presbitero inside the final minute. Presbitero scored all of his four points, going 4-of-4 from the free throw line, in the last 7.7 seconds to clinch the game.

“It was really tough to give up 28 points in the fourth quarter. If we had lost this game I should probably blame myself for that,” said a disappointed San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez. “They thought it was already a won game for us, so I hope they will realize what happened. The game is not yet over until is over.”

“I do thank the guys who played in the last minute of the fourth quarter. Jo, AC (Soberano), Franz (Abuda), Javee (Mocon) and Donald (Tankoua) for taking care of the last minute. I hope this game against Letran will wake up my boys,” Fernandez added.

San Beda, which blew a 22-point lead in the last six minutes of the game, tightened its hold of the second spot with an 11-1 record while dealing Letran its fourth loss in 11 outings.

Tankoua led the Lions with 19 points and nine rebounds while Bolick finished with 13 and Mocon posting 12 points and 11 rebounds.

With the loss, the Knights slipped to fourth place with College of St. Benilde, which plays San Sebastian in the second game, climbing to third at 7-3.

Bong Quinto and JP Calvo spearheaded Letran’s fiery comeback. Quinto scored 13 of his 19 in the latter part of the final frame while Calvo had 16, six coming in the fourth, including an acrobatic drive that cut San Beda’s lead to one, 69-68, with 16.8 seconds left.