College of Saint Benilde pulled away from Lyceum of the Philippines University, 98-82, to extend its winning streak in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Thursday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
With the victory, the Blazers moved into solo first place in Group A with a 2-0 record.
“I’m happy that we stayed calm and collected. We still had 21 turnovers, some silly ones. But for the most part, we were able to execute and establish order,” said CSB head coach Paolo Layug.
Making their season debut, the Pirates kept pace with Benilde throughout the first half, taking a slim 48-47 lead with 1:32 remaining in the second quarter. However, CSB closed the half with a 10-2 run to take a 57-50 advantage into the break.
The Blazers, who were without Raffy Celis due to illness, continued to apply pressure in the third period, building an 18-point lead at 83-65 heading into the final frame.
Powered by their bench production, Benilde’s depth continued to make the difference. The Blazers held the Pirates to just 17 points in the fourth quarter to secure the 98-82 victory.
“Whoever we put in the game, we trust them. I think we put in 11 or 12 players in the last two minutes. We trust everyone, and a lot of the guys stepped up today,” Layug added.
Matthew Jucom led Benilde with 17 points and six rebounds.
Six Blazers, including Jucom, scored in double digits on Thursday. Irele Galas had 13 points, while Justine Sanchez and Alaine Cajucom chipped in 12 apiece.
SJ Moore and John Morales added 10 points each.
CSB shot an impressive 53.3-percent from the field, while LPU struggled to find its rhythm offensively, shooting just 43.1-percent.
Renz Villegas did most of the heavy lifting for Lyceum, posting a game-high 24 points along with four rebounds.
The Pirates will look to enter the win column on Monday, September 21, when they face Mapúa University at 3:00 PM. The Blazers, meanwhile, will eye a 3-0 start against Jose Rizal University on Tuesday, September 22, at 3:00 PM.
Both games will be held at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
The Scores:
Benilde 98 – Jucom 17, Galas 13, Sanchez 12, Cajucom 12, Moore 10, Morales 10, Ancheta 8, Torres 8, Jarque 3, Arciaga 3, Podador 2, Baliquig 0, Lorenzo 0, Daja 0.
Lyceum 82 – Villegas 24, Rubico 11, Peñafiel 11, Ondoa 11, Daileg 5, Matienzo 4, Almario 3, Pallingayan 3, Manuel 2, Guadana 2, Panelo 2, Aurigue 2, Cardinas 2, Fuentes 0, Aviles 0.
Quarterscores: 25-23, 57-50, 80-65, 98-82.
