Letran College turned their rivalry showdown with four-time defending champion San Beda College into a one-sided rout, as the struggling Knights found their form in a 64-53 beating in the first round finale of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 90 seniors basketball tournament action at The Arena in San Juan City on Wednesday night.

Off the bat, the Knights – now pitted in a three-way tie with Emilio Aguinaldo College and San Sebastian for seventh place with identical 3-6 won-lost records – went bezerk with a 16-6 spurt to start the first 10 minutes against the out-of-sync Red Lions.

In the first half alone, San Beda – playing without Nigerian center Ola Adeogun, who was meted a one-game suspension by the coaching staff after violating team rules in missing three of their last four practices  – made only five-of-25 from the field, turned the ball over 15 times, and committed 17 turnovers.

Things got worse for the Red Lions when they lost top playmaker Baser Amer, who left the game in the third quarter after suffering a contusion on his head and was immediately sent to the hospital after complaining of dizziness.

Mark Cruz – the only player in Letran’s lineup in double-digits – wound up with a team-leading 17 points and five rebounds, while center Jamil Gabawan and Rey Nambatac each posted nine markers.

Arthur de la Cruz led the Red Lions with 16 points and 13 rebounds, followed by Jaypee Mendoza’s 11 points and five rebounds.

The loss puts San Beda in a tie with Arellano University for first place with 7-2 marks after the first round.