By: Bjorn Del Deade
San Beda still had no answer for Jhomel Ancheta.
Much like their Round 1 match-up, Ancheta came through once again, leading College of St. Benilde to a 70-62 victory over San Beda in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
Ancheta led the Blazers with 18 points – including a clutch three-pointer that sealed the game – and added eight rebounds.
“He didn’t have a great game against Mapua the last time. I told him may chance kang bumawi ngayon. He’s a big part of our team. He really had a big game for us,” Blazers head coach Charles Tiu said.
Coming off a tough loss to Mapua, the Blazers improved to a 14-3 win-loss record, solidifying their hold on the top spot.
Despite trailing after the third quarter, San Beda came alive as Bismarck Lina, James Payosing, and Penny Estacio sparked a comeback to give the Red Lions a brief 62-61 lead.
However, a fadeaway jumper from Allen Liwag initiated a decisive 7-0 run. Ancheta capped things off with a banked-in three-pointer to push the Blazers ahead by six, 68-62, with 44.4 seconds remaining.
During that stretch, the Red Lions missed three consecutive shots. Then, with time winding down, Lina turned the ball over on the other end, effectively sealing the win for Benilde.
Two free throws from Ian Torres finalized the score, crushing San Beda’s hopes.
“It’s a big win for us. Obviously, any time you play San Beda, they’re one of the best teams. They have a really deep lineup. It’s always a tough game,” Tiu said.
“We don’t see it as sweeping them. We just take it one game at a time. We wanted to bounce back from a painful loss against Mapua.”
Despite a loud San Beda crowd, Benilde took control late in the second quarter. It used a 6-0 run fueled by back-to-back triples from Ancheta to establish a 32-26 lead.
Still, the Red Lions managed to keep it close, trailing just 34-31 at halftime.
Benilde carried this momentum into the third quarter, building their largest lead at 41-33 on a three-pointer from Mark Sangco. However, the relentless Red Lions fought back, tying the game at 42-all after two free throws from Yukien Andrada.
Estacio and Payosing combined to put San Beda ahead, 48-47, but Tony Ynot responded with five straight points – including a triple – quieting the Red Lions’ fans with two minutes left in the quarter, 52-48.
Payosing answered with his own three-pointer to keep San Beda close as they entered the fourth quarter down by just one, 52-51. However, the Red Lions ultimately lost steam in the final period, succumbing to the gritty Blazers.
Liwag contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Justine Sanchez added 13 points and seven boards.
Ynot, who provided a much-needed spark for Benilde heading into the fourth, chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds.
College of St. Benilde will next play their postponed game against Lyceum of the Philippines University on Friday, Nov. 15, at 12:00 PM at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
For San Beda – which remains at third with a 10-7 record – Lina led with 17 points and five rebounds.
Payosing recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Andrada contributed 10 points and five rebounds.
San Beda University will face San Sebastian College in their postponed game on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 2:30 PM at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The Scores:
Saint Benilde 70 – Ancheta 18, Liwag 14, Sanchez 13, Ynot 10, Torres 5, Cometa 4, Morales 3, Sangco 3, Oli 0, Eusebio 0, Turco 0, Serrano 0, Ondoa 0
San Beda 62 – Lina 17, Payosing 12, Andrada 10, Estacio 7, Sajonia 6, Celzo 4, Songcuya 2, Puno 2, Gonzales 2, Calimag 0, Bonzalida 0, Royo 0, Sollano 0, Tagle 0
Quarterscores: 19-20, 34-31, 52-51, 70-62
