Knights firm up Final 4 bid

By FRANCIS SANTIAGO
September 7, 2009, 7:11pm

Games on Wednesday (The Arena)
10 a.m. — EAC vs CSB (Jrs)
11:45 a.m. — Arellano vs San Beda (Jrs)
2 p.m. — EAC vs CSB (Srs)
4 p.m. — Arellano vs San Beda (Srs)

Letran College fortified its bid for a semifinals seat on Monday even as San Sebastian College remained unbeaten in the NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Knights won their joust with the Angeles University Foundation, 100-83, while the Stags trounced the Mapua Cardinals, 101-65, for their 13th straight victory.

It was the 10th win in 14 games for the Knights, who raced away from closest pursuer Arellano University by 2 ½ games and took a firm grasp on the No. 4 position.

It was a day of double victories as the Squires routed the Junior Danes, 153-32 to clinch a Final 4 berth with their 14-0 card while the four-peat titlists Staglets walloped the Red Robins, 89-61, to improve 10-4.

The Junior Danes fell to their 13th straight defeat while the Red Robins absorbed their 11th setback against two wins.

Riding behind the heroics of Jimbo Aquino, the Stags proved to much for the Cardinals, crusing to leads of as much as 35 points en route to the win.

Aquino fired a season-high 30 points on a 4-of-7 shooting from three-point arch as the Stags repeated over the Cardinals, whom they beat, 77-74, in the first round.

San Sebastian’s winning streak of 13 topped its previous 12-0 mark when it swept the double round elimination in 1997, the year they took their fifth straight title which turned out to be the longest championship run in league history.

In the first seniors game, RJ Jazul and Rey Guevarra poured in 26 points apiece to power the Knights, who also got 13 and 12 points, respectively, from playmaker Reymar Gutilban and Kevin Alas.

The scores:
Third Game (Srs)
LETRAN 100 — Jazul 26, Guevarra 26, Gutilban 13, Ke. Alas 12, Kr. Alas 8, Foronda 4, Cortes 3, Ang 3, Datang 2, del Rosario 2, Pantin 1, Taplah 0, Publico 0, Malabago 0.
AUF 83 — Manarang 14, Carney 14, Fuertez 13, Gigante 11, Santos 8, Gomez 7, Musni 6, Nacu 4, Sazon 2, Perez 2, Maniago 2, Cayanan 0.
Quarters: 26-20, 43-35, 68-63, 100-83.

Fourth Game (Srs)
SSC 101 — Aquino 30, Abueva 13, Semira 13, Najorda 8, Del Rio 8, Pascual 7, Bulawan 5, Sangalang 4, Raymundo 4, Maconocido 4, Marquez 4, Gatchalian 1, Bartolo 0.
MAPUA 65 — Cornejo 20, Acosta 17, Guillermo 11, Sarangay 6, Soriano 6, Pascual 3, Maniego 2, Stevens 0, Ranese 0, Cinco 0, Parala 0.
Quarters: 27-15, 50-31, 73-48, 101-65.