By MARK REY MONTEJO
Allen Liwag’s absence was hardly felt as College of Saint Benilde rallied in the second half to pull off an 80-74 win over Letran and secure solo second in Group B of the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament at the FilOil Arena in San Juan City Friday, Nov. 14.
What began as a neck-and-neck duel flipped into a one-sided stretch as the Blazers unloaded a decisive 15-0 run – sparked by Jhomel Ancheta and Raffy Celis – to erase a 61-66 deficit and build a 76-66 cushion in the fourth, a lead they protected with a defensive masterclass that smothered the Knights.
Without Liwag, Ian Torres shone brightest for the Blazers as he ignited their run off a buzzer-beating triple in the third and finished with15 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Justine Sanchez posted 14 points and eight rebounds.
Providing the support offensively were John Morales (13), Tony Ynot (12), and Ancheta (10) who all combined for 35 points.
Aside from recovering from its 80-76 loss to San Beda, the Taft-based squad hiked its record to 7-4 at second, while Letran dropped to third with a 6-5 card.
The victory also enhanced CSB’s Top 2 bid in the quarters and follow up to its 95-80 triumph over Letran last Oct. 8, at the same venue.
Titing Manalili expectedly led Letran with 16 points, two rebounds, five assists, and five steals, while Jimboy Estrada and Aaron Buensalida added 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Up next for the Blazers are the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers on Tuesday, Nov. 18, while the Knights go for a bounce back win against the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals Sunday, Nov. 16.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Mapua hammered out a vengeful 77-61 win over league-leader University of Perpetual Help System Dalta to go two in a row that strengthened its hold of second in Group A.
With Clint Escamis leading the way, the Cardinals turned on the jets before the break and continued their assault in the third where they ballooned their lead to 18, 48-30, that was too much for the Altas to overcome.
Mapua improved to 6-5 at second place, while Perpetual, which already qualified in the semifinal, remained atop of the standings with an 8-3 tally.
Escamis rallied the Randy Alcantara-mentored crew with 18 points, two rebounds, five assists, and one steal, while Cyrus Cuenco and Yam Concepcion chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Josiah Alcantara, on the other hand, finished as the lone double-digit scorer for Perpetual with 10 points, while Patrick Sleat and Ray Allen Maglupay posted nine points each.
The scores (Benilde-Letran):
St. Benilde 80 – Torres 15, Sanchez 14, Morales 13, Ynot 12, Ancheta 10, Umali 5, Celis 3, Gaspay 3, Eusebio 3, Cometa 2, Cajucom 0, Oli 0.
Letran 74 – Manalili 16, Estrada 14, Buensalida 10, Roque 9, Omega 9, Santos 8, Gammad 7, Rosilio 1, Cuajao 0, Tapenio 0, Silorio 0, Yusi 0, Montecillo 0.
Quarters: 31-24, 48-50, 69-66, 80-74.
The scores (Mapua-Perpetual):
MAPÚA 77 – Escamis 18, Cuenco 13, Concepcion 11, Sapasap 10, Gonzales 8, Igliane 7, Delos Reyes 4, Nitura 2, Lazarte 2, Abdulla 2, Recto 0, Callangan 0, Ryan 0, Gulapa 0, Reyes 0
PERPETUAL 61 – Alcantara 10, Sleat 9, Maglupay 9, Gojo Cruz 8, Boral 8, Casinilio 6, Tulabut 5, Orgo 3, Abis 2, Nuñez 1, Pagulayan 0, Guibao 0, Duremdes 0
Quarters: 16-12, 40-30, 58-42, 77-61
