College of Saint Benilde returned to the win column, outlasting Mapúa University, 82-77, in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
The Blazers finished the first round of the group stage with a 3-1 record in Group A, while the Cardinals slipped to 0-3.
“Fortunately for us, it was clicking today. So credit to the players; they put in the work, they made the right decisions, and they made their shots today,” said head coach Paolo Layug.
Holding a two-point lead entering the fourth quarter, Benilde created some separation early in the frame, sinking back-to-back triples to take a 65-57 advantage.
Mapúa, however, refused to go down without a fight, mounting a 7-0 run to pull within one, 65-64.
Yam Concepcion then took over, scoring five straight points to put the Cardinals back in front, 69-67, with less than five minutes remaining.
The Blazers quickly responded, knocking down consecutive triples to regain the lead, 73-69.
Ivan Lazarte kept Mapúa’s hopes alive with a three-pointer that cut the deficit to two, 74-72, but Ian Torres answered with a trey of his own to keep the Cardinals at bay.
The same sequence played out with less than a minute remaining, as Lazarte buried another three-pointer before Torres responded with another triple to put the game away for Benilde.
“Hoping lang din naman talaga ako. Create ni Jhommel Ancheta ‘yun eh. Tapos ‘yun, tinake ko lang ‘yun. Syempre open ako, so tira lang,” said Torres after hitting Benilde’s biggest shots of the game.
The Blazers shot an impressive 42.1 percent from beyond the arc, with their three-pointers accounting for more than half of their total scoring output. Mapúa, meanwhile, shot 36.4 percent from long range.
Justine Sanchez led the Blazers with a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, while also tallying six blocks.
Torres added 15 points, all from beyond the arc, while Mowell Morales chipped in 14 points and nine rebounds for Benilde.
For Mapúa, Lazarte posted a game-high 22 points to go with six rebounds and six assists.
Marc Cuenco added 14 points, while Concepcion finished with 13.
The Cardinals will face San Beda University on Monday, Sept. 28, at 3:00 p.m., while the Blazers will take on the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA as they begin the crossover round on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 5:00 p.m.
Both games will be held at the Filoil Centre in San Juan City.
The Scores:
Benilde 82 – Sanchez 16, Torres 15, Morales 14, Ancheta 9, Moore 9, Jarque 8, Podador 5, Arciaga 3, Daja 3, Go 0, Lorenzo 0, Baliquig 0.
Mapúa 77 – Lazarte 22, Cuenco 14, Concepcion 13, Igliane 7, L. Nitura 6, Diaz 5, Reyes 4, Ryan 4, Bernabe 2, M. Nitura 0, Liwanag 0, Razon 0.
Quarterscores: 17-21, 37-40, 59-57, 82-77.
