Will Gozum’s MVP-level performance was just enough to give College of Saint Benilde the edge as the Blazers narrowly squeezed past the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, 84-81, in another tense and physical matchup between the two rivals in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
The game took place 364 days after the John Amores incident between the Blazers and the Bombers, increasing the intensity surrounding the match.
Gozum was on fire from the start, scoring 21 points in the tension-filled first half, which witnessed four technical fouls, three unsportsmanlike fouls, and an ejection. Gozum’s excellent offensive performance helped the Blazers establish a double-digit lead heading into halftime, 48-34.
The reigning MVP finished with a season-high 27 points, five rebounds, and two blocks, leading the charge for the Blazers.
Blazers head coach Charles Tiu was quick to praise Gozum for his best performance of the season, but he also didn’t fail to point out his shortcomings.
“Today was great, by far his best game of the season. Knowing me, I’ll complain that he missed a crucial layup when I gave him the ball to take us home, but I can’t complain,” said Tiu.
“He played well, but he got into foul trouble again, and I couldn’t play him as much as I wanted to. He picked up his third foul on the first play of the third quarter when I specifically reminded him not to foul. But again, I can’t complain. I’m being greedy; Will played great. Without him, we wouldn’t have won this game for sure,” the third year head coach continued.
Despite the Heavy Bombers missing head coach Louie Gonzalez, who was ejected with 3:00 left in the second quarter for improper decorum and disruption of play, the Blazers let up in the third quarter, allowing JRU to make a comeback as they were outscored 14-25 after the break.
To make matters worse for the Blazers, they had to play the fourth quarter without big man Mark Sangco, who was ejected from the game with seven seconds left in the third after an unsportsmanlike foul on Vince Sarmiento, following his technical foul in the first quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Blazers faced the challenge of slowing down JRU’s undersized big man Joshua Guiab, who scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the final frame, giving the Heavy Bombers a chance to seal the game.
Guiab sparked an 11-2 run in the final minutes for the Heavy Bombers. A layup cut the Blazers’ lead to single digits, 81-72, and a Guiab putback brought the game to a single possession, 83-81, with 54 seconds left on the clock.
With 10 seconds left in the game, Benilde left the door open for the Heavy Bombers to force overtime, as Robi Nayve split his two free throws to make it 84-81.
On the other end, Shawn Argente’s three-point attempt fell short, but the ball found its way to Marwin Dionisio on the left wing.
As Dionisio rose for the potential game-tying three, Gozum closed out from inside the paint to swat the shot away.
“I’m happy we were able to get away with the win today. We played well for a long stretch, and then we kinda let up at the end of the third. We let them back in the game after controlling the first half, and at the start of the fourth quarter, we played great but let up again. We were able to escape with the win,” shared Tiu.
Miguel Corteza also had a big scoring game for the Blazers, ending the match with 18 points and five rebounds. Miguel Oczon followed closely with 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
The Blazers improved to a 9-4 record, taking sole control of the third spot in the standings ahead of San Beda University.
They have a chance to compete for the second spot when the Lyceum Pirates on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
Guiab led the Heavy Bombers in both points and rebounds, delivering a masterful 23-point, 14-rebound double-double in a matchup with the reigning MVP.
JL Delos Santos added 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and four steals, while Agem Miranda and Marwin Dionisio contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Heavy Bombers fell to an 8-6 record, slipping behind in the final four race and residing at fifth in the standings.
They will face also-ran Letran Knights next on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
The Scores:
CSB 84- Gozum 27, Corteza 18, Oczon 14, Nayve 9, Marcos 6, Sangco 4, Arciaga 4, Carlos 2, Cajucom 0, Turco 0, Mara 0
JRU 81- Guiab 23, Delos Santos 14, Miranda 12, Dionisio 11, De Leon 7, Dela Rosa 5, Pabico 4, Argente 3, Medina 2, Sarmiento 0, Sy 0, Ramos 0
Quarterscores: 27-12, 48-34, 62-59, 84-81
