Many questions surrounded the future of the College of Saint Benilde Blazers heading into NCAA Season 100.
Chief among them was the status of head coach Charles Tiu, who has long been rumored to take the reins of the Converge FiberXers in the PBA after the season.
At 35, Tiu is widely considered ready to lead a professional team.
However, following the Blazers’ 94-82 loss to the Mapua Cardinals in Game 2 of the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Finals on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, Tiu made it clear that his hunger to deliver a championship for Benilde remains.
“With Benilde, I’ll probably stay. They haven’t told me otherwise. It’s open-ended. It’s disappointing right now, and my mind is still focused on winning one,” said Tiu. “Hopefully, I can win one before I leave one day.”
This season was full of promise for the Blazers, bolstered by a star-studded lineup featuring transferees Allen Liwag, Justine Sanchez, Tony Ynot, Jhomel Ancheta, and Anton Eusebio.
Yet, Mapua’s combination of experience – led by Finals MVP Clint Escamis – and youthful energy, highlighted by Rookie of the Year Chris Hubilla, proved insurmountable. The relentless hunger of head coach Randy Alcantara and the Cardinals’ drive outmatched the relatively inexperienced Blazers.
“It’s disappointing because I felt we had a chance to win it. I felt we were as good as Mapua. Give them credit – they really played when it mattered. Escamis, Cuenco, and their other guys stepped up,” Tiu admitted.
“They outplayed us, and I just tip my hat off to them. Congratulations to them.”
For Tiu and the Blazers, it’s back to the drawing board. However, the next campaign could be without Liwag and Ynot.
“I guess back to the drawing board. I really wanted to win now, but obviously, I’m still hungry to win a championship here in the NCAA,” Tiu said.
“Hopefully, we can stay with this core again. I don’t know the plans of Allen Liwag and Tony Ynot – if they’ll stay or move on – but hopefully, they can stay. We still have a lot of recruits. We just have to prepare.”
Liwag, who had an MVP season, was visibly emotional after the game.
“He was sad because he told me that he promised to give me a championship,” Tiu shared. “I just told him that he has done so much for the program. Without him, we wouldn’t be here anyways.”
He went on, “I told him I was happy for him, and he deserved his MVP. It’s not his fault that we lost. He did his best, and our players gave their all. It’s just that Mapua was the better team today and the entire series.”
Despite the heartbreak, Tiu’s commitment to Benilde remains steadfast.
“For me, I have the PBA and Dubai, but Benilde is my baby, and I really want to win with this school, one way or another.”
