LETRAN coach Bonnie Tan’s patience in preaching composure to his charges paid handsome dividends against College of St. Benilde yesterday.
Proving steadier when it mattered most, the two-time reigning champion Knights turned back the Blazers 81-75 in Game 1 of their best-of-3 finals duel for the 98th NCAA basketball crown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Energetic big man Louie Sangalang wound up with a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds, on top of two assists for Letran, while King Caralipio chipped in 16 markers and two dimes.
Kurt Reyson also had 13 points spiked by three three-pointers, grabbed four boards, and issued three feeds as the Knights scored a fitting follow-up to a 67-58 triumph over Lyceum in their Final Four clash six days ago and gained a crucial 1-0 edge in the race-to-2 series.
CSB came off a 62-61 squeaker over San Beda University in the semis last Tuesday.
Letran will try to wrap up its third straight title in Game 2 of the Big Dance on Sunday, Dec. 11, at the same venue.
A deciding third game, if necessary, will be on Dec. 18 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
“Iyon iyong keyword: composure ng team, lalo na iyong veterans na despite na medyo nagkakaubusan ng players nilabanan nila iyong pressure,” Tan said. “Before the start of the series naman may nagtatanong what are the advantages namin sa CSB, it’s more of experience narin siguro, playing for championship.
“Again, iyong composure ng mga veterans. Iyon (iyong) parati naming nireremind na gamitin nating advantage which is iyong experience natin,” he added.
The Intramuros-based Knights led by as much as 41-32 on a Reyson triple with 5:42 mark of the second quarter before settling for a 52-50 cushion at the half.
Letran trailed 66-67 heading into the final stanza.
The Knights unleashed a 9-0 binge capped by a Sangalang free throw that gave them a 76-69 lead with 4:30 to go.
A Miggy Corteza driving layup shoved the Blazers to within 73-76 with 3:36 remaining but that proved to be too little, too late.
Rafael Go and Fran Yu canned three freebies that pegged a 79-73 count, only 23.4 ticks left that finally took the fight out of CSB.
MVP candidate Will Gozum carried the fight for the Blazers with 18 points and 11 caroms, while Corteza added 11 markers.
Mark Sango also got 10 points for CSB, which lost Migs Ozcon early in the tiff due to a sprained left ankle.
