By: Miguel Caramoan
Allen Liwag’s return to action propelled the College of Saint Benilde to an emphatic 82-64 victory over San Sebastian College-Recoletos in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Season 100 MVP, who just recovered from dengue, came off the bench to contribute 19 points and six rebounds on an efficient 72.7% shooting from the field.
Justine Sanchez complemented him with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, along with two steals.
Their efforts highlighted Benilde’s dominance in bench production, outscoring the Golden Stags’ second unit 68-12.
“This is actually the first game that we’re complete with Allen [Liwag], [Tony] Ynot, and [Justine] Sanchez, and still some guys nursing some injuries,” said Blazers head coach Charles Tiu on finally having his key players together this season.
“Actually, Allen [Liwag] only had one day of practice coming from his dengue, but he said he wanted to play and get some papawis. So thankfully, he got away unhurt and unscathed. Hopefully, he can recover better for our game on Saturday.”
After a tight first quarter where Benilde held just a five-point lead, the Blazers broke the game open with an early 12-0 run in the second period to build a 28-16 advantage, capped by two free throws from John Morales.
Liwag then went a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in the first half, scoring eight points in under seven minutes, helping the Blazers take a 42-24 lead into halftime.
San Sebastian attempted a third-quarter rally with a 10-2 run, capped by a Tristan Felebrico triple, trimming the deficit to 44-34.
However, Benilde quickly responded with a 9-0 burst. Baskets from Liwag, Matthew Oli, and Ian Torres helped regain control and extend their lead to 63-43 heading into the final frame.
The Blazers maintained control despite being outscored 21-19 in the fourth quarter, comfortably protecting their sizable lead.
“We basically told them to wake up, and they think we’re a good team and can coast through games. But I told them, we’ve seen the NCAA this year, every team can beat one another,” Tiu said, reflecting on Benilde’s mindset in the win.
With the victory, Benilde remains in second place in Group B with a 4-2 record, holding a half-game lead over Letran.
The Blazers also limited turnovers to just 13 while distributing 24 assists, keeping their league-leading average of 19.4 assists per game through five contests.
“Last game, we didn’t play as a team at all. We lacked any cohesion, and we couldn’t organize anything. Something we really addressed in our practice before this game is to make sure we find our groove again defensively and share the ball,” Tiu added on how they bounced back after their loss to Arellano.
“But a big part of it, we just kept throwing the ball away, and we’re not going to win games turning the ball over like that.”
Next up, Benilde faces Group A leader Perpetual Altas on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Meanwhile, the loss dropped San Sebastian to the bottom of Group A with a 1-6 record, following LPU’s first win yesterday.
Freshman Jhuniel Dela Rama continued to impress with another strong outing of 20 points, 12 rebounds, and two steals, including 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Tristan Felebrico also added 12 points and five rebounds.
The Golden Stags will next take on the San Beda Red Lions on Sunday, also at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Scores:
Saint Benilde 82 – Liwag 19, Sanchez 16, Oli 10, Morales 9, Gonzaga 6, Torres 4, Celis 3, Umali 3, Gaspay 3, Daja 3, Ynot 2, Moore 2, Cometa 2, Ancheta 0, Galas 0
San Sebastian 64 – Dela Rama 20, Felebrico 12, Gabat 9, Ricio 9, Velasco 7, Cuajao 3, Lumanag 2, Nepacena 2, Castor 0, Segovia, Gomez de Liaño 0, Dimaunahan 0
Quarterscores: 19-14, 42-24, 63-43, 82-64
