San Sebastian Stuns Letran, 82-81, on Dela Rama’s Clutch Jumper

The San Sebastian Golden Stags pulled off a thrilling upset in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament, escaping with an 82-81 victory over the Letran Knights on Wednesday at the Playtime Filoil Centre.

The dramatic win snapped San Sebastian’s five-game losing streak while simultaneously halting Letran’s five-game winning run, marking one of the most surprising results of the season.

With just seconds left on the clock, Jhuniel Dela Rama — the league’s rebounding leader — rose to the occasion, nailing the game-winning jumper with 3.4 seconds remaining to seal the win for the Stags. Dela Rama, who fittingly once played for Letran’s high school squad in Season 99, delivered a stellar all-around performance with 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals to earn the Best Player of the Game honors.

Dela Rama’s heroics came after Kevin Santos gave Letran a one-point lead, 81-80, with 11.2 seconds left by splitting his free throws. But the Golden Stags executed perfectly on the ensuing inbound play — with Ralph Gabat finding Dela Rama in a mismatch against Mark Omega, who calmly hit a spinning midrange jumper to cap off the upset.

Letran had one final chance, but Deo Cuajao’s desperation three-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.

Oneil Castor paced the Stags with a team-high 22 points, including four triples, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while rookie Ian Cuajao added 13 points to help San Sebastian improve to 2-7 in Group A.

Despite being undermanned — with only eight players available for Coach Rob Labagala — the Golden Stags played inspired basketball, leading by as many as 15 points in the third quarter before withstanding a furious Letran comeback.

For the Knights, rookie sensation Jonathan “Titing” Manalili was unstoppable, posting 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in an all-out effort. However, it wasn’t enough as Letran dropped to 5-4 in Group B.

San Sebastian will try to keep the momentum going when it faces the Perpetual Altas on Saturday, November 8, while Letran looks to regroup in its next outing against the JRU Heavy Bombers on the same day at the Playtime Filoil Centre.