Letran holds off Mapua in NCAA
MANILA – Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights moved closer to back-to-back titles after a 68-63 escape over Mapua Cardinals in Game 1 of the NCAA men’s basketball finals on Sunday at the San Juan Arena.
Brent Paraiso and Mark Sangalang shared the scoring mantle with 14 points apiece for the Knights, which is looking to annex its 19th NCAA basketball title overall.
Rhenz Abando still finished with 13 points and seven rebounds despite not finishing the match as he went down with a left foot injury after a highlight putback dunk with 3:20 left in the third period.
“Hindi nag- give up mga players namin kahit wala si Rhenz,” said Letran coach Bonnie Tan on his prized transferee recruit from University of Santo Tomas.
Playing catch- up for most of the game, the defending champions
With this feat, Yulo eclipsed his gold haul during the 30th SEA Games held in the country in 2019 where he captured two golds and five silver medals.
Filipina-American Aleah Finnegan Cruz, meanwhile, ended her stint with a silver medal in the balance beam to cap off her national team debut with two golds and two silvers.
Dancers Sean Aranar and Ana Nualla, meanwhile, captured two gold medals i n the dancesport event when they ruled the single dance standard tango and dancesport standard – all five dances events.
Stephanie Sabalo and
Michael Angelo Marquez also clinched a gold medal in chacha, on top of getting a silver for jive and all the five events, while Mark Gayon and Mary Joy Renigen also won a gold in the slow foxtrot.
Wilbert Aunzo and Pearl Marie Cañeda, on the other hand, also ended up with two medals as they copped a silver in samba and bronze from rumba and paso doble.
Bowler Merwin Tan, meanwhile, rolled a six-bagger in the sixth and last frame to erase a 52- pin deficit to rule the men’s singles event, ending the country’s 11-year SEA Games bowling gold medal dry spell.
Clinton Kingsley Bautista and William Morrison also captured gold medals in athletics in the 100 meter hurdl e s ans s hot put,
respectively, while Jocel Lyn Ninobla captured a taekwondo gold in the women’s individual recognized poomsae.
Others who ended up with silver medals were Janry Ubas in the men’s long jump, fencer Nathaniel Perez in men’s foil individual event, Jollirine Co in jiu-jitsu and swimmer Jessica Joy Geriane.
The women’s tennis team of Alex Eala, Shaira Rivera, Marian Capadocia, and Jenaila Prulla claimed the bronze, same with the men’s team of Treat Huey, Jeson Patrombon, Ruben Gonzalez, Jr., and Eric Olivarez Jr.
Marc Alexander Lim and Jan Vincent Cortez nabbed bronze medals in jiu- jitsu, while cyclists John Derrick Farr, Jericho Rivera and Naomi Gardoce also got bronze medals./ PN