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Letran edges Mapua to win NCAA 97 championship

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<div class="media-content"><div class="slider-for"><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/05/22/05222022-ncaa-season-97-rookie-mvp-rhenz-abando-celebrates-winning-the-championship-mix-gatpandan.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/05/22/05222022-ncaa-season-97-rookie-mvp-rhenz-abando.jpg"/></div><div><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/sports/05/22/ncaa-97.jpg"/></div></div><div class="slider-desc"><div class="item-desc"><p>The Knights celebrate winning the NCAA 97 championship. <cite>Mix Gatpandan</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>NCAA Season 97 rookie-MVP Rhenz Abando celebrates winning the championship. <cite>Mix Gatpandan</cite></p></div><div class="item-desc"><p>Rhenz Abando scored 14 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, as the Letran Knights beat the Mapua Cardinals 75-65 to win the NCAA Season 97 mens basketball title on Sunday. <cite>Mix Gatpandan</cite></p></div></div></div><div>Rhenz Abando scored 14 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, as the Letran Knights beat the Mapua Cardinals 75-65 to win the NCAA Season 97 mens basketball title on Sunday.</div><p>It was Knights’ 19th championship overall, and the second consecutive by coach Bonnie Tan and his squad, who completed a 12-0 sweep of the tournament.</p><p>“Mahirap itong pandemic na liga coming from more than two years na bakante,” said Tan, whose Knights needed to wait for two years and six months to defend the championship they won in November 2019.</p><p>Since then, COVID-19 shut down sports events in the country, NCAA 96 was cancelled, and Season 97 got underway in April but with a contracted tournament.</p><p>“I don’t know kung masasabi natin na mas masaya pero mas mahirap itong season na ito compared to last season,” Tan added.</p><p>From a 21-point lead, Letran found itself in a dog fight in Game 2 of their best-of-3 series at the FllOil Flying V Centre in San Juan, as Mapua made it 70-65 with 2:14 left on Paolo Hernandez’s 3-pointer.</p><p>But Abando, whose availability prior to the game was in question because of an ankle injury, came to the rescue for the Knights, scoring four points in the last 1:29 and stemming the tide.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/22/22/ncaa-letrans-abando-named-rookie-mvp">NCAA: Letran’s Abando named rookie-MVP; Arellano’s Arana top defender</a></li></ul><p>The rookie-MVP who found a new home in Intramuros after departing what once was a promising future at University of Santo Tomas had sufficient help from his veteran teammates.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/15/22/ncaa-letran-tops-mapua-a-win-away-from-title-repeat">NCAA: Letran one win away from back-to-back crowns after slipping past Mapua</a></li></ul><p>Jeo Ambohot, named finals MVP, added 13 points and 9 rebounds, and Louie Sangalang chipped in 11 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists for the Knights, who outrebounded the Cardinals 56-43.</p><p>Hernandez and Adrian Nocum scored 14 points apiece to lead Mapua, which last won the NCAA crown in 1991.</p><p>“Lahat naman ng games namin, struggle kami pero ’yung mga players natin nag-step up. Lahat ng challenges sa kanila, na-overcome nila and I&#x27;m happy for them,” Tan said.</p><p>A combination of a cold start on offense and the Knights’ activity on defense put Mapua in a double-digit hole early.</p><p>The Knights scooted to a 17-6 lead in the first quarter, thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers by Brent Paraiso and Kurt Reyson.</p><p>The Cardinals didn’t score their third basket until 2 minutes into the second quarter, but they still managed to give their area-code rivals fits.</p><p>A 3-point play by Ambohot and a basket by Sangalang put Letran ahead 44-23 to start the second half, the Knights’ biggest lead of the game.</p><p>The Cardinals then found their outside touch to threaten at 55-48 late in the third quarter.</p><p>A 6-0 run by Letran stretched its lead back to 64-50 midway through the fourth, but 3-pointers by Cardinals Adrian Nocum, Arvin Gamboa, and Paolo Hernandez made it 70-65 with 2:14 left.</p><p>Abando answered with a bucket and two free throws, and Mapua couldn’t score, as the Knights sealed the deal.</p>

Rhenz Abando scored 14 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, as Letran beat Mapua 75-65 to win the NCAA Season 97 mens basketball title on Sunday.