Letran Dominates Arellano for Fifth Straight Win in NCAA Season 101
The Letran Knights continued their resurgence in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament, securing their fifth straight victory with a convincing 83-65 win over the Arellano Chiefs on Sunday at the Playtime Filoil Centre in San Juan.
After a tough 0–3 start to the season, the Knights have completely turned things around, climbing to second place in Group B with a 5–3 record, overtaking the Benilde Blazers in the standings.
Leading the charge was Kevin Santos, who delivered another stellar all-around performance with 19 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and three blocks, shooting a remarkable 72.7% from the field.
Teammate Mark Omega, a former Letran Squire, also had his breakout game in a Knights uniform, finishing with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds on an efficient 6-of-7 shooting clip.
Point guard Jonathan “Titing” Manalili continued to orchestrate the offense masterfully, notching 11 assists—his fifth straight game with double-digit dimes—while adding eight points and five rebounds.
Letran set the tone early and never looked back, maintaining control throughout the game to hand Arellano its second consecutive defeat. The loss dropped the Chiefs to 3–5 in Group A, marking the first time this season they have lost back-to-back games.
Despite the loss, Renzo Abiera and Mav Vinoya provided bright spots for Arellano with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
The Knights will look to cap off a perfect crossover round when they face the San Sebastian Golden Stags on Wednesday, October 29 at the Playtime Filoil Centre. Meanwhile, the Chiefs aim to bounce back against the JRU Heavy Bombers on November 5 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The Scores:
Letran 83 – Santos 19, Omega 18, Estrada 15, Gammad 9, Manalili 8, Cuajao 8, Buensalida 6, Rosilio 0, Tapenio 0, Roque 0, Yusi 0.
Arellano 65 – Abiera 15, Vinoya 14, Cabotaje 7, Camay 6, Geronimo 6, Ongotan 6, Valencia 5, Demetria 4, Hernal 2, Libang 0, Borromeo 0, Miller 0, Acop 0, Buenaventura 0.
Quarter Scores: 17-13, 42-33, 60-51, 83-65.
