Cuajao hits seven 3s as Letran nips SSC
Vince Cuajao —AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Vince Cuajao has a confidence level that his game has no problem matching.
The deadshot wingman found his rhythm from afar on Monday, torching the hoops for an NCAA season-high 34 points in a bounce-back 101-98 double overtime victory by Letran over San Sebastian College (SSC) in the Season 100 men’s basketball tournament.
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“Once my shots go in, I’m confident that the rest will follow because I always do this in practice,” said Cuajao in Filipino, who drilled seven three-pointers punctuated by a long three that broke San Sebastian’s back with 15.1 seconds remaining.
“I’m always ready and I get my confidence from what I’ve been doing in training,” added Cuajao after going 12 of 19 from the field.
Arellano triumphs
Maverick Vinoya, meanwhile, picked up where JL Capulong left off as Arellano University notched its first back-to-back victory of the season at the expense of Perpetual Help, 66-59, in the other match at Filoil EcoOil Arena in San Juan.
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Vinoya filled in for the 6-foot-6 Capulong—who was used sparingly after he rolled his ankle in practice—and powered his way to 20 points for the Chiefs, who moved in a tie with the Altas at 5-8.
“It’s difficult to match the things that JL can do for us. I just pushed myself and took on the role,” said Vinoya, who cashed in on the extra minutes Capulong’s limited floor time gave him.
Letran’s triumph erased the memory of its previous setback at the hands of the Mapua Cardinals, installing the Knights at solo fourth with a 7-6 (win-loss) record.
But they needed to put up a strong fight against the Stags, who nearly tripped the Knights before dropping their 10 game in 13 outings. INQ
San Sebastian go-to guy Paeng Are swished a three with the clock winding down in regulation, forcing the extension period.
Tristan Felebrico, meanwhile, hit a free throw to send the game into another overtime.
Tied at 98, the Knights whipped a pass to an undefended Cuajao, who nailed the dagger triple while Felebrico flubbed another shot at the buzzer on the other end.
“He’s a clutch player and (Cuajao) has the authority to shoot. He’s not afraid to take those crucial shots,’’ said Letran coach Allen Ricardo.
Jimboy Estrada also fired a career-high 30 points and Kevin Santos had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Knights who matched the Stags’ shooting spree, including 10 three-pointers.
Are led the Stags with 27 points and Felebrico had another sterling performance of 19 points and 12 rebounds, but the two couldn’t pull their team out of the pits.
The Chiefs held down the Altas to a lone field goal in the fourth quarter while stepping on the pedal to finally pull away in a game where they trailed a lot.
“We were down most of the game, but we just stuck to our game plan, the one that we trained for yesterday,” said Arellano coach Chico Manabat. “It’s all about heart in the end game.” INQ
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