College of Saint Benilde avenged its Season 99 Final Four loss with a commanding 78-65 victory over last year’s first runner-up, Mapua University, to kick off its NCAA Season 100 campaign on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Though the Blazers trailed for most of the game, they eventually overwhelmed the undersized Cardinals – particularly in the paint – where Mapua had no answer for Allen Liwag.
Liwag, a former EAC General, made an impressive debut for Benilde, posting a dominant 23-point, 18-rebound double-double. His performance was key to the Blazers’ fourth-quarter surge, which secured the double-digit win.
Early in the game, Benilde struggled to keep up with Mapua, falling behind by as much as nine points, 12-21, after a layup from Clint Escamis.
The Blazers spent most of the contest trying to regain the lead.
They nearly did so at the end of the third quarter when Justin Sanchez hit a buzzer-beater jumper, but what appeared to be a three-pointer was ruled a two, tying the game at 55-55.
The Blazers finally found their rhythm in the fourth quarter.
Trailing by three with just over five minutes left, Benilde went on a game-changing 13-2 run led by Liwag, Gab Cometa, and Tony Ynot, snatching the victory from Mapua with a 78-65 final score.
Despite the offensive outburst from his new stars, Benilde head coach Charles Tiu credited the team’s defense for the turnaround.
“That was a good win, especially because I thought defensively – in the fourth when it mattered – we played some good defense. Even in the third, we started with good defense,” Tiu said.
“We didn’t play our best game. Maraming bago sa team namin, medyo kinakabahan pa yata dito, but at least pinapagpag na.”
Alongside Liwag, Benilde’s new recruits played pivotal roles in the comeback. Gab Cometa stepped up off the bench with 17 points despite his struggles from beyond the arc.
Tony Ynot showcased his all-around game with nine points, five rebounds, eight assists, and four steals. Meanwhile, Jhomel Ancheta added nine points of his own.
The Blazers now sit at 1-0 for the season, tying with San Beda University in the standings. The two teams will face off on Tuesday at 2:30 PM at the Filoil EcoOil Centre to break the tie.
On the other hand, Mapua struggled without the veterans who helped lead them to a finals berth last season.
Clint Escamis was the only Cardinal to score in double digits, finishing with 16 points and contributing his signature defensive pressure with four steals.
Marc Cuenco, Lawrence Mangubat, and Chris Hubilla each chipped in nine points.
The Cardinals drop to 0-1 to start their Season 100 campaign and will look to bounce back against the revamped Emilio Aguinaldo College on Wednesday, also at 2:30 PM at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Scores:
Benilde 78- Liwag 23, Cometa 17, Ynot 9, Ancheta 9, Sanchez 6, Sangco 4, Eusebio 3, Morales 3, Cajucom 2, Torres 2, Turco 0, Ondoa 0, Serrano 0
Mapua 65- Escamis 16, Cuenco 9, Mangubat 9, Hubilla 9, Jabonete 5, Agemenyi 5, Ryan 4, Fermin 4, Igliane 2, Abdulla 2, Recto 0, Garcia 0, Bancale 0, Concepcion 0
Quarterscores: 14-21, 32-37, 55-55, 78-65
