Manalili and Diamante come through in the clutch as Letran edges Arellano

NCAA LETRAN stayed sharp in the 19th Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup, surviving a late scare to defeat Arellano University, 88-86, on Thursday in San Juan.

Titing Manalili stopped Arellano’s comeback bid with a tough driving layup with 26 seconds left to put the Knights ahead 87-86. George Diamante then split his free throws and delivered a crucial steal in the final seconds to seal the victory for Letran.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect us to bounce back like this after how we handled those situations. In those crucial moments, we really needed to step up — and we did,” said Letran coach Allen Ricardo after his team nearly let slip a 60-47 second-half lead.

Manalili paced Letran with 20 points, seven assists, and four rebounds, while Diamante added 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Lance Siena contributed 14 points and four rebounds, and Jimboy Estrada chipped in 12 points as the Knights improved to 5-1.

Arellano fell to 0-4 despite a strong 24-point showing from rookie John Ray Ladica.

In other games, **National University** rallied from a 22-point deficit to secure its second straight win, beating Far Eastern University, 73-69.

The Bulldogs trailed 59-51 entering the fourth quarter but mounted a strong final-period comeback.

“Yung huddle namin during halftime, we just addressed what we needed to do, and it matched our preparation perfectly,” said NU coach Jeff Napa.

PJ Palacielo led the Bulldogs with 16 points and five rebounds, while Mo Diassana added 11 points and six boards. NU improved to 3-1.

FEU dropped to 1-2 despite having nearly all starters in double figures. Mo Konateh posted a double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds), and Jorick Bautista added 13 points.

**San Beda University** remained unbeaten at 3-0 after pulling away for an 86-80 win over Emilio Aguinaldo College. Zed Etulle exploded for 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, while Aldous Torculas continued his strong form with 19 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.

**Lyceum of the Philippines University** gave coach Jamike Jarin a birthday gift, rallying past San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 79-72. The Pirates unleashed a 19-0 fourth-quarter run to erase a 12-point deficit.

Matthew Rubico starred for LPU with 14 points, nine rebounds, and five assists as the Pirates snapped a three-game skid and moved to 2-4.