By: Miguel Caramoan
Ian Torres’ breakout performance propelled the College of Saint Benilde to an 80-74 victory over Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, giving the Blazers a full-game lead for the second twice-to-beat spot in Group B.
After averaging just 6.3 points in his first nine games, the 6-foot guard came off the bench to score 15 points and dish out four assists, seven of which came during a crucial second-half surge.
John Morales also turned in a stellar effort, scoring 13 first-half points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the field.
“I was worried if we could [beat] Letran again kasi kumpleto sila. We shot so well in the first half with 10 threes, but in the end, I think it’s our defense that ended up winning the game for us,” said Blazers head coach Charles Tiu.
The game started at a high tempo, with both teams trading hot shooting. The Blazers fired 64.7% from the field in the first quarter, while the Knights converted all nine of their free throws.
John Morales and Tony Ynot spearheaded Benilde’s hot start, combining for 20 points on flawless 7-of-7 shooting. Meanwhile, Letran leaned on Jonathan Manalili and Chad Gammad, each with seven points.
Benilde extended their lead to 40-28 on an Ian Torres three-pointer, but Letran responded with a 10-0 run capped by a Jun Roque basket, narrowing the gap to 38-40. The Blazers regained control before halftime, taking a 50-48 lead on a Kevin Santos fastbreak layup.
In the third quarter, the Knights briefly held a 66-61 advantage following a Jimboy Estrada three-pointer at the 3:43 mark. Benilde then went on a 15-0 run, highlighted by a Justine Sanchez basket, to establish a double-digit lead at 76-66.
With the win, Benilde improves to 7-4, holding a full-game lead over Letran for the second twice-to-beat slot in Group B — and with a season sweep over the Knights, they control the tiebreaker.
“It was a bit better because we’re still without Allen, and guys needed to recover — [it] gave us a bit more time to refresh our minds. It’s always hard coming from a loss. The emotions are high, but we got to settle down and prepare well, and we played pretty good today,” Tiu said on how the rest from suspended games helped his squad.
Benilde will look to solidify its position when it faces the JRU Heavy Bombers on Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Knights, meanwhile, dropped to 6-5 and are tied with JRU for the third seed in Group B. Manalili led Letran with 16 points and five assists, while Estrada added 14 off the bench.
Letran will face the EAC Generals on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Scores:
Saint Benilde 80 – Torres 15, Sanchez 14, Morales 13, Ynot 12, Ancheta 10, Umali 5, Celis 3, Gaspay 3, Eusebio 3, Cometa 2, Cajucom 0, Oli 0
Letran 72 – Manalili 16, Estrada 14, Buensalida 10, Roque 9, Omega 9, Santos 8, Gammad 7, Rosilio 1, Cuajao 0, Silorio 0, Tapenio 0, Montecillo 0, Yusi 0
Quarter scores: 31-24, 48-50, 69-66, 80-74
