Underdogs Generals, Knights stun NCAA foes

Letran College and Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) mowed down their respective favored rivals on Thursday in the Season 102 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

The Generals kicked off the day of upsets by whipping College of Saint Benilde, 86-78, to end the Blazers’ four-game winning streak.

Letran College joined the upset parade, escaping Jose Rizal University, 70-66, in the second game.

Chad Gammad led the Knights with 21 points, four rebounds and three assists as they improved to 5-3 and tied Arellano University for the top spot in Group B.

Clinging to a slim 68-66 lead with 1.3 seconds remaining, John Estrada calmly sank two free throws to seal the victory for Letran.

Joseph Nunag led the Generals with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists as they snapped a two-game skid and improved to 3-5 in Group B.

Nunag credited EAC’s defensive adjustments after the Generals fought back from a 19-point deficit to trim the gap to three, 71-68, heading into the fourth quarter.

“Our adjustments really started on the defensive end. We had to lock in on defense to secure this win,” Nunag said.

“It was a collective effort from everyone, which is how we were able to catch up.”

The Blazers struggled in the payoff period, allowing EAC to open the quarter with a 5-2 run for a 75-73 lead with 7:45 remaining.

Jhomel Ancheta briefly tied the game at 75-all with a jumper at the 6:54 mark, but Nunag answered with a jumper of his own 18 seconds later to spark a decisive run.

The Generals pulled away with a 10-3 surge to establish an 85-78 cushion and stayed in front the rest of the way.

EAC capitalized on its 19 offensive rebounds to score 17 second-chance points while adding 38 points in the paint.

The Generals also scored 26 points off Saint Benilde’s 23 turnovers.

Wilmar Oftana contributed 15 points, while Jacob Shanoda and EJ Castillo chipped in 13 and 12, respectively.

Justine Sanchez and John Morales paced Saint Benilde with 16 points apiece, but the loss dropped the Blazers to 6-2 in Group A.