College of Saint Benilde secured a much-needed victory in the second round of the NCAA season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament as it held off University of Perpetual Help System DALTA with a gritty 77-73 win on Sunday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre.
The Blazers had an 18-point advantage that they squandered as Perpetual’s star sophomore wing Jun Roque caught fire and brought the Altas back into the game.
The Blazers extended their biggest lead of the game with an 18-4 run between the second and third quarters, culminating with a three-pointer by Prince Carlos, which put them up 48-30.
The Blazers maintained their double-digit lead until the 2:18 mark of the final frame, where a two-point jumper from Jelo Razon catalyzed a lightning-quick 6-0 run for Perpetual, bringing the game to within four, 72-68.
Fortunately for the Blazers, Carlos and Will Gozum knocked down crucial free throws during the final moments as Perpetual tried to stall for time, allowing them to escape with the win.
“We are still short of our goal,” said Tiu. “We just have to focus on ourselves and take care of our business. We are far from where we want to be, but at least we are getting some wins.
“We need to play much better than this, though,” he added.
Carlos led the way for Benilde with 19 points, closely followed by Oczon with 18 points. Reigning MVP Will Gozum also had an important outing with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Robi Nayve was once again absent for the Blazers as his quad injury continued to keep him from playing.
The Altas were closing in on the Blazers in the standings as the two teams raced for the final four, but the victory gave Benilde a three-game advantage over Perpetual with seven games left in the elimination rounds for both teams.
Benilde improved to an 8-4 record, tying them with San Beda University for fourth place in the standings. On the other hand, the Altas fell to 4-7, moving further away from the top four in the standings.
The Blazers will face a feisty Arellano University squad after a short break on Saturday at 9:30 AM.
Roque’s outstanding performance went in vain as the Perpetual star finished with 27 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and six three-pointers, filling up the stat sheet.
Razon contributed 14 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, while Christian Pagaran added 11 points.
Although Marcus Nitura struggled to score efficiently with nine points and a 2-of-11 shooting performance, he still contributed with 14 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and a block for the Altas.
The Altas will return to action on Saturday, facing another Final Four contender Jose Rizal University at 3:00 PM.
The Scores:
CSB 77- Carlos 19, Oczon 18, Gozum 15, Corteza 7, Cajucom 6, Sangco 4, Turco 4, Marcos 2, Mara 2, Marasigan 0
UPHSD 73- Roque 30, Ramon 14, Pagaran 11, Nitura 9, Abis 5, Omega 4, Barcuma 2, Ferreras 1, Gelsano 0, Boral 0, Orgo 0, Nunez 0, Sevilla 0
Quarterscores: 20-14, 36-26, 55-43, 77-73
