- Like the Adamson game, Letran was able to get clutch performances from two role players on route to the win, namely Kevin Racal and Mark Cruz. After scoring 13 and 12 points in the first two quarters as a team, the dynamic duo combined for 15 of their team's 22 points, two more than the entire Green Archers' team output of 12. Racal went 7 of 8 from the line in that period, finishing 10 of 12 from the stripe, the first time he broke double-figures in that stat in his Letran career. Cruz on the other hand, was simply on fire, making 4 of his 6 shots in the period, making up for a 0/5 first half start.
- The other big piece of the Letran puzzle? Mythical Five big man Raymond Almazan. The Most Improved Player of 2011 pulled down 17 rebounds, dished out 3 assists and blocked 7 shots in 29 minutes as he protected Letran's shaded lane. To wit, no Archer had more than 9 rebounds or more than 2 assists, and the team as a whole blocked just 3 shots.
- To La Salle's credit, the Archers did not back down from the physical nature of the Knights, in fact, I think they actually out-toughed them in the game's first half, with multiple Letran players hitting the floor and shooting daggers at the refs who swallowed their whistles. Almond Vosotros certainly took the lead in this, getting into the heads of Mark Cruz and Kevin Alas early. Too bad, they couldn't adjust to the more aggressive play of their opponents in the second half.
Three Down
- Of course Joshua Webb has a poor game after I gave him props for his improved play in the entire PCCL tourney. Hampered by foul trouble (he fouled out) and a shot that wouldn't drop (0/6) from the field, Webb had to settle for attacking the rim, which he was able to do (6/8 FT). Interestingly, twice the Archers had Webb far above the top of the three-point line before driving into the lane, drawing a foul both times. I don't think his first step is going to beat anyone, but if you allow him to build up a head of steam, his defender sagged off him both times, he becomes hard to stop.
- With La Salle's big men in foul trouble, the guards needed to bail their team out. Unfortunately, LA Revilla and Almond Vosotros were a combined 5 of 20 from the field, though they managed a 6 for 6 clip from the line between them. They definitely felt the absence of Luigi Dela Paz, who was watching from the sideline with his fractured elbow.
- Conversely, Letran's big men, save for Almazan, underperformed. Jam Cortes finished with 6 points on 3 of 9 shooting with no free throw attempts, and just four rebounds. Jonathan Belorio went scoreless with just one shot attempt, but at least had seven boards.
Random Notes
- With Kevin Alas gone for the US and the ABA for a month, the team is down their best scorer headed into their next PCCL game. They're already playing without Franz Dysam, who is concentrating on his studies, so the backcourt, especially at the point guard spot, is thin. Letran had to make do with Carlo Lituania (5 points, 1 steal, in 8 minutes) but is he ready for more minutes?
PCCL 2011: CSJL vs DLSU
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