MANILA — Aldous Torculas buried the game-tying triple in the dying seconds of regulation before powering San Beda University’s overtime assault as the Red Lions outlasted archrival Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 74-65, in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Monday at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan.
Torculas finished with 18 points and five rebounds as the defending champion Red Lions turned what had been a tense rivalry battle into a runaway in overtime, improving their Group A record to 5-2.
“We just had to be able to stay true to the habits that we built,” San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta said. “That’s what San Beda basketball is and I think we were able to do that defensively even if we struggled offensively.”
San Beda appeared headed for defeat after falling behind by four points, 59-55, late in the fourth quarter.
Dan Marcelo, however, drilled a crucial three-pointer with 2:38 remaining to cut Letran’s advantage to 59-58.
Kevin Santos answered with two free throws to restore the Knights’ three-point cushion, but Torculas delivered when it mattered most, knocking down a triple from the top of the key with about five seconds remaining to force overtime at 61-all.
The Red Lions then seized complete control in the extra period.
San Beda exploded for an 11-1 run, capped by another Torculas three-pointer, to build a commanding 72-62 advantage with 2:15 remaining and effectively put away its longtime rival.
Marcelo added 10 points for the Red Lions, while rookie Andrei Ugaddan flirted with a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
Letran suffered its second consecutive loss and slipped to 3-2 despite a 17-point performance from Estrada.
Moses Manalili contributed 13 points and eight assists, while Santos finished with 10 points for the Knights.
Meanwhile, College of Saint Benilde overcame a sluggish start and a fourth-quarter deficit to turn back winless San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 73-66.
The Blazers improved to 5-1 after erasing the Golden Stags’ late advantage and closing the contest with a decisive surge behind Joshua Cajucom, Ian Torres, Jhomel Ancheta and Justine Sanchez.
Cajucom paced Benilde with 20 points, while Ancheta added 14. Sanchez contributed 12 points and Torres chipped in 10./PN
