By: Miguel Caramoan
College of Saint Benilde needed just one win to avenge their Season 100 Finals defeat, and they made the most of their twice-to-beat advantage in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball quarterfinals.
The Blazers officially sent defending champion Mapua University packing with a 74-72 victory, advancing to the semifinals on Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The win marks Benilde’s fifth consecutive return to the Final Four, where they will face the San Beda Red Lions in a best-of-three series starting December 2 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Raffy Celis set the tone early, finishing with 18 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Ian Torres delivered crucial jumpers in the clutch to score 12 points, while Tony Ynot added 11 markers for Benilde.
After falling behind early in their first quarterfinal encounter, the Blazers bounced back behind Celis’ 13 first-half points to take a 26-17 lead.
The second quarter began as a defensive tussle, but Benilde broke out of the offensive slump. Back-to-back triples from Ynot extended an 11-0 run, taking a 47-31 lead at halftime over the Cardinals.
Mapua’s offense picked up in the third quarter, converting nine field goals led by JC Recto and Cyrus Cuenco — more than they had in the entire first half — trimming the deficit to 60-53 after three quarters.
As the Cardinals tried to keep the momentum, Clint Escamis committed a critical disqualifying foul, ending his NCAA career on the court.
Undeterred, Mapua went on a 9-0 run, taking the lead at 63-62 after Cuenco’s second triple with 5:51 remaining. Benilde countered with a 7-0 spurt to regain control at 69-63, highlighted by Torres’ three-pointer.
Cuenco and Recto made it a one-possession game with consecutive triples to bring Mapua within 74-72 with 13.6 seconds left. However, a Blazers turnover gave the Cardinals a chance, but they failed to capitalize — Recto missed two free throws, and Cyrus Nitura’s final shot missed — sealing Mapua’s defeat.
This loss marks the first time Mapua has missed the Final Four since Escamis returned to the program. His final two outings were particularly tough, averaging just 2.5 points while missing all 16 field-goal attempts.
Recto and Cuenco’s fourth-quarter heroics capped 18 and 17 points, respectively. Cyril Gonzales also scored in double figures with 11 points, closing out his collegiate career.
