‘Knights’ to remember as Letran wins NCAA title in dramatic fashion
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2019 11:23:54 +0000
BY WAYLON GALVEZ
LETRAN’S ace Jerrick Balanza made sure his final year is going to be a night to remember.
Indeed, it was.
Letran, led by Jerrick Balanza, celebrates after defeating San Beda in the NCAA Season 95 Finals Game 3 at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. (Rio Deluvio)
Displaying sheer guts and determination, Balanza made key plays on both ends to help Letran beat San Beda, 81-79, in the rubber match of their best-of-three title series as the Knights crowned themselves NCAA Kings once again Tuesday before some 19,876 fans fans at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The series could go down as one riveting championship in years.
Drama and action were abound.
Balanza, who missed most part of the previous season after he underwent brain surgery, drained a huge three-pointer shot that gave Letran a 79-73 lead with 1:29 left in the game.
San Beda trimmed Letran’s deficit to three 79-76 when Evan Nelle buried a triple with 43.2 seconds to go.
Fran Yu, who missed the final three minutes of Game 2 due to cramps – the same problems he had late in the match – made two pressure packed free throws for an 81-76 advantage with 15.9 seconds to play.
However, just when the diminutive 5-foot-9 Yu waived his hands to the San Beda crowd as if he was saying goodbye, Nelle again drained a triple to cut the Knights’ lead to 81-79, 12 seconds remaining in the game.
At that point, Bonbon Batiller and Yu – forced to a jump ball by San Bed’s season MVP Calvin Oftana – suffered cramps one after another. That jump ball gave the Lions the possession with 5.4 seconds left.
That was when Balanza came with his endgame heroics.
Balanza, one of Letran’s graduating players, came through with a huge defensive stop when he blocked a potential game-winning attempt by the red-hot shooting Nelle from the top of the key.
The drama did not stop there.
Donald Tankoua recovered the loose ball, but the Cameroonian center failed to make a decent shot as the buzzer sounded that led to wild celebration among the Knights players and coaches, and chants of “Arriba! Arriba! Arriba! Letranista” echoed at the arena where 19,876 witnessed the final game of the season.
Letran’s victory ended a four-year title drought, or since the Knights stunned an equally talented San Beda squad during the 2015 season. It was also the school’s 18th overall title in the NCAA.
It likewise denied San Beda a fourth consecutive title – a disappointing finish to a season where the Red Lions had a perfect 18-0 in the eliminations that propelled them to the Finals.
“It was difficult beating San Beda, but nothing is impossible,” said Letran coach Bonnie Tan, who is in his first season with the Knights. “There’s always a reason why it happened (lost in Game 2).”
Balanza, who finished with 27 points, said it was their determination to recover from a Game 2 (79-76) defeat that propelled them to the championship – his second with the school since he was part of the 2015 squad as a rookie.
“People doubted that we cannot win
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