PBA D-League

Letran averts meltdown, denies St. Clare comeback for first D-League win

JR Isaga

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Letran averts meltdown, denies St. Clare comeback for first D-League win

Letran veteran Brent Paraiso drives past the St. Clare defense at the PBA D-League

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Mark Sangalang and Brent Paraiso flex their veteran savvy as Letran holds back St. Clare in the first PBA D-League game since March 2020

MANILA, Philippines – The Wangs-Letran Knights showed championship composure in the return of the PBA D-League as they denied the Adalem-St. Clare Saints a late comeback, 94-87, at the Araneta Coliseum on Thursday, July 7.

Big man Mark Sangalang continued right where he left off from a stellar NCAA Season 97 title-winning run with 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting, on top of 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks in just 28 minutes, while Kobe Bryan Monje sparked the bench mob with 17 points in 19 minutes.

Veteran guard Brent Paraiso also chipped in across the board with 12 points, a game-high 8 assists, and 4 boards, while Tommy Olivario also scored 12 with 7 dimes to boot.

Coming off a 23-point hole, 20-43, after allowing a 14-0 Letran second-quarter start, St. Clare patiently chipped away at its deficit, and came as close as 85-88 late in the fourth quarter off a 12-1 run, capped by back-to-back Jolo Sumagaysay triples with 57 ticks left.

However, that was as close as the Saints would get as King Caralipio was left wide open in the next possession for a dagger corner trey at the 47-second mark for the 91-85 lead.

St. Clare’s desperation treys then clanked off left and right as Letran held on for the win.

Saints captain John Rojas led the losing cause with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting while reigning National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities (NAASCU) rookie MVP Jimboy Estrada tallied 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists off the bench.

Letran played without two of its top stars in NCAA MVP Rhenz Abando and former Finals MVP Fran Yu, who were out due to Gilas Pilipinas duty and an unspecified illness, respectively.

Meanwhile, the CEU Scorpions hammered AMA Online, 101-82, in the double-header main event.

Jerome Santos made a lasting first impression with a 36-point bomb on 13-of-24 shooting, to go with 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals.

Dave Bernabe scored 9 with a team-high 14 rebounds, while Ronrei Tolentino filled the stat sheet with 8 points, 9 boards, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks in just under 19 minutes of play.

Larry Arpia led the losing effort with 24 points in as many minutes, while Nikon Alina churned out a 12-point, 16-board double-double with 4 blocks.

Letran now aims for its second straight win on Tuesday, July 12, against AMA at 1 pm, while St. Clare shoots for a bounce-back effort against CEU at 3 pm.

The Scores

First Game

Wangs-Letran 94 – Sangalang 21, Monje 17, Olivario 12, Paraiso 12, Caralipio 12, Javillonar 6, Tolentino 6, Guarino 6, Bataller 2, Lantaya 0.

Adalem-St. Clare 87 – Rojas 25, Estrada 22, Sumagaysay 19, Sablan 7, Tapenio 5, Estacio 5, Gambo 4, Lopez 0, Acosta 0.

Quarters: 29-20, 51-38, 72-65, 94-87.

Second Game

CEU 101 – Santos 36, Cabotaje 11, Diaz 9, Bernabe 9, Ferrer 9, Tolentino 8, Ancheta 7, Santiago 6, Reyes 2, Borromeo 2, Enrile 2, Malicana 0, Atienza 0, Samaniego 0.

AMA 82 – Arpia 24, Palana 12, Alina 12, Cruz 10, Baclig 6, Villamor 6, Soriano 4, Romero 3, Pangilinan 2, Cruz 2, Ceniza 1, Fuentes 0, Temporasa 0, Reyes 0.

Quarters: 22-14, 48-41, 71-61, 101-82.

– Rappler.com

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