By: Joaquin Cortez
College of Saint Benilde handed Mapúa University its first loss in nearly a month, 71-69, snapping the Cardinals’ six-game winning streak in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Monday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
With the win, the Blazers ended their two-game skid and moved into a three-way tie for first place with San Beda University and Jose Rizal University, with all three teams holding identical 7-3 records.
Meanwhile, Mapúa, which went undefeated in the crossover round, suffered its first loss in nearly a month and dropped to 6-4.
“Iniisip ko lang sa dulo, pag natalo kami, alanganin na kami sa bracket namin. Pinagtrabahuhan lang namin talaga at nag-focus lang talaga kami sa game plan namin,” said Ian Torres, who led the Blazers with 15 points, three rebounds, and four assists, including four three-pointers off the bench.
“Important talaga ’yung game namin ngayon kasi para sa team at para mabuhay ulit kasi back-to-back kami na talo. So, momentum namin ’to sa next game … at para may motivation kami,” he added.
Neither team managed to establish a double-digit lead through the first three quarters until Torres knocked down a three-pointer and Jhommel Ancheta followed with a layup to give Benilde its first 10-point cushion, 55-45, heading into the final period.
Trailing by as many as nine points, Mapúa quickly mounted a comeback, opening the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run capped by Marc Igliane’s layup to cut the deficit to two, 57-55.
Torres answered with back-to-back triples to restore some breathing room for the Blazers, extending their lead to eight, 63-55.
However, Diaz kept the Cardinals in the game, finding Yam Concepcion for a wide-open layup to tie the score at 63-all with less than three minutes remaining.
Benilde responded with a crucial late run as a John Morales layup and a Justin Sanchez triple put the Blazers ahead by five, 68-63.
After Cyrus Cuenco gave the Cardinals another lifeline with a three-pointer, Sanchez, who had struggled to find his rhythm through the first three quarters, delivered when it mattered most. He capitalized on an open lane and drove to the basket for a layup, restoring Benilde’s four-point lead, 70-66, with 25.6 seconds remaining.
However, Raffy Celis fouled Cuenco while the Mapúa team captain was attempting a three-pointer, sending him to the free-throw line with a chance to cut the deficit to one. Cuenco sank all three attempts to bring the Cardinals within a point, 70-69.
Torres then split his free throws during the ensuing foul game, giving Mapúa one final opportunity to steal the win. Cuenco launched a potential game-winning three-pointer, but his attempt hit the front rim, allowing Benilde to escape with the two-point victory.
Ancheta finished with 14 points, three rebounds, and three assists for the Blazers, while Celis also scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Sanchez, meanwhile, scored all seven of his points in the fourth quarter, adding three rebounds and an assist.
For the Cardinals, Cuenco led all Mapúa scorers with 21 points, three assists, and two steals, while Concepcion contributed 12 points and seven rebounds.
Benilde will look to sustain its winning momentum against Lyceum of the Philippines University on Friday, Oct. 30, at 3 p.m. Mapúa, meanwhile, will try to bounce back against San Beda University on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m.
Both games will be held at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The Scores:
Benilde 71 – Torres 15, Ancheta 14, Celis 14, Sanchez 7, Cajucom 4, Go 4, Lorenzo 4, Morales 3, Jucom 2, Podador 2, Moore 2, Galas 0.
Mapúa 69 – Cuenco 21, Concepcion 12, Diaz 9, M. Nitura 9, Igliane 7, Lazarte 5, Mendoza 3, Dones 2, Reyes 1, L. Nitura 0, Razon 0, Liwanag 0, Bernabe 0.
Quarterscores: 19-16, 33-30, 55-45, 71-69.
