College of Saint Benilde narrowly triumphed over a tenacious Arellano University squad with a 72-66 victory to score its third straight win in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Sunday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
This victory marked the Blazers’ third consecutive win, having previously defeated San Sebastian College-Recoletos (87-72) and the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (86-80). They now share a 4-3 record in a three-way tie with Emilio Aguinaldo College and Jose Rizal University.
The Blazers are poised to break this tie as they face EAC on Friday at 2:00 p.m.
Miguel Oczon emerged as the Blazers’ top scorer, contributing 16 points, including four three-pointers. Prince Carlos exhibited an impressive all-around performance with 15 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and a steal.
Benilde leaned on the duo to fend off Arellano which chopped their once double-digit lead down to single digits in the crunch.
With a 68-63 lead after Carlos split a free throw with 32 seconds left in the game, the Blazers faced a late scare as Arellano’s Troy Valencia sank a crucial three-pointer and forced a turnover from Carlos right in front of the Arellano basket.
Danielle Mallari swung the ball to Felix Villarente under the basket, but the rookie guard missed the layup, and Carlos grabbed the rebound to secure the 72-66 win for the Blazers.
Blazers head coach Charles Tiu acknowledged Arellano for their tenacity in keeping the game close and nearly pulling off an upset.
“I kept telling those guys leading up to this game that Arellano is a really good team; coach Chico (Manabat) has done a good job. I know they’ve got one win, but that easily should have been three wins in a row for them. They’re a good team, and I’m happy we got away with the win,” shared Tiu.
Mark Sangco came close to achieving a double-double, securing 12 points and grabbing eight rebounds, while Robi Nayve added 11 points, four rebounds, and six assists.
Paul Turco played a vital role for Benilde, contributing four points and grabbing eleven crucial rebounds for the Blazers.
Unfortunately, Will Gozum struggled throughout the match, managing only two points on 1-for-6 shooting. Miguel Corteza also had a difficult game, contributing just one point in 13 minutes and 32 seconds of play.
Tiu commended his team for securing a victory despite the challenges faced by their two key big men.
“We’re still thankful to have a win. I wasn’t too happy with the way we played in the first half. Embarrassing twenty-point run we gave up. It’s nice to win those despite not really having Will and Corteza today; they both struggled, but we were able to find a way to win,” said Tiu.
Troy Valencia led all scorers in the match with 19 points, and Jeadan Ongotan was a pivotal contributor off the bench for Arellano, scoring 13 points, ten of which came in the fourth quarter.
Lorenz Capulong had an all-around performance for the Chiefs, amassing 12 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. Jade Talampas came close to a double-double with eight points and 11 rebounds.
After this loss, Arellano’s record dropped to 1-6.
The Chiefs will look to get back on the winning track on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. against the surging Mapua University
The Scores:
CSB 72 – Oczon 16, Carlos 15, Sangco 12, Nayve 11, Turco 4, Jalalon 4, Arciaga 3, Gozum 2, Morales 2, Mara 2, Corteza 1, Marcos 0, Lepalam 0, Jarque 0
AU 66 – Valencia 19, Ongotan 13, Capulong 12, Talampas 8, Sunga 7, Villarente 3, Dayrit 2, Mallari 2, Geronimo 0, Abastillas 0, Yanes 0
Quarterscores: 16-12, 26-36, 51-47,72-66
