After dropping four of its last five games, San Beda University turned its slump around as it narrowly defeated the College of Saint Benilde 65-61 in a tightly contested matchup in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
Second year Red Lions head coach Yuri Escueta ensured that his squad put their previous losses behind them to focus all their energy on their next opponents, and that focus helped them lock in and secure the win against Benilde.
“Every game talaga si crucial ngayon especially lahat naghahabol. We let some games slip early in the second round, but our fate is still in our hands. Kung magdwell kami sa mga talo namin lalong walang mangyayari sa amin; might as well focus moving forward,” shared Escueta.
“Kahit matalo kami ngayon, focus kami sa JRU, kahit nanalo kami, focus pa rin kami sa JRU. ganoon lang yung mindset namin, just make sure kahit anong mangyari game by game for the next four games basta walang bibigay, sama-sama, lalaban kami.”
The Red Lions and the Blazers were neck-and-neck for most of the matchup, entering the fourth quarter tied at 45-45, both sides with an equal opportunity to take control of the game.
After exchanging blows for the first seven minutes, the Red Lions managed to make it a two-possession ball game for the first time in the final frame after a three-pointer from Peter Alfaro saw them pull away 60-56 with 2:54 left in the game.
From that point on, San Beda was on a mission to protect its advantage, responding swiftly to any offensive spark Benilde attempted. After a pair of free throws from Will Gozum cut the lead down to two, 60-58, with 1:14 left, the Lions locked in on the defensive end to force multiple stops against Benilde while also wasting precious time on the clock.
The lead returned to just two points after a clutch three-pointer from Prince Carlos with five seconds left in the game, but Yukien Andrada knocked down the ice-cold free throws on the other end to seal the 65-61 victory.
Andrada, who missed the game-winning three-point attempt in San Beda’s previous game against Mapua University, expressed his gratitude to his coaches and teammates for trusting him time and time again when the game is on the line.
“Sinabihan ako nina coach, mga teammates ko, if I was to take that shot okay lang talaga sa kanila iyon. Big trust lang binibigay ni coach yuri and ng mga teammates ko. Feel ko naman doon okay lang sa akin sabi nga ni coach huwag ako masyado mafrustrate sa ganoon mga tira,” explained Andrada.
Andrada finished with 22 points and four triples to lead all scorers in the game. Jacob Cortez followed closely with 15 points, four rebounds, and eight assists despite suffering from an illness.
James Payosing provided a much-needed boost in the rebounding category as he grabbed 10 boards to go along with his seven points, but the San Beda guard was carried off the floor in the final minute of the match due to an injury.
The Red Lions improved to a 9-6 record on the season after the big win. They are set to go head-to-head against Jose Rizal University on Saturday at 9:30 a.m in a matchup that could have massive implications on the final four picture.
Will Gozum led the Blazers in the scoring department with 16 points and five rebounds. Joshua Cajucom was the only other Blazer in double-digit scoring with 13 points.
Benilde dropped to a 10-6 record, tied with Jose Rizal University for the third and fourth spots in the standings. Next up on the Blazers’ schedule is a finals rematch against also-ran Colegio de San Juan de Letran on Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
The Scores:
San Beda 65– Andrada 22, Cortez 15, Alfaro 7, Payosing 7, Gonzales 5, Puno 4, Tagle 3, Jopia 2, Cuntapay 0, Visser 0, Royo 0
CSB 61- Gozum 16, Cajucom 13, Carlos 8, Nayve 7, Corteza 6, Oczon 5, Sangco 2, Turco 2, Arciaga 2, Marcos 0, Mara 0, Jarque 0
Quarterscores: 13-14; 29-32; 45-45; 65-61
