College of Saint Benilde and Statham Academy emerged victorious against their respective semifinal opponents, setting the stage for a face-off in the 2023 Corsa Tires Asiabasket Dasmariñas Championship for Saturday at the Dasma Arena.
The Blazers overcame a slow start to overturn a double-digit deficit and stun the MisOr Mustangs, securing a 103-86 victory.
Tony Ynot, Emman Ojuola, and Gab Cometa played heroically in this comeback.
Under the guidance of coach Rajko Toroman, the Blazers faced a 16-point deficit by the end of the first quarter, trailing 27-11. However, a strong third quarter saw them outscoring the Mustangs 34-16, with Ynot and Cometa leading the charge.
Benilde maintained their momentum, completing the come-from-behind triumph.
Ynot continued to shine for the Blazers, contributing 21 points, four rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block.
Former FEU FSA Ojuola delivered a double-double performance with 18 points, 18 boards, two blocks, and one swat.
Having gone undefeated with a 4-0 record in the group stage, Benilde aims to sweep the tournament. Their journey includes a decisive 90-43 victory against the Pilipinas Aguilas in the quarterfinals.
However, standing in their way is Statham Academy, which secured a hard-fought 89-81 win against Shawarma Shack in the semifinals.
Taylor Statham recorded another double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds, complemented by three assists and three blocks.
Jonathan Guzman provided significant contributions with 18 points, nine boards, four assists, and four steals.
The showdown between Benilde and Statham Academy is set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m., while MisOr and Shawarma Shack will compete for third place at 5 p.m.
