College of Saint Benilde stretched its winning streak to four games after holding off Arellano University, 94-82, in the NCAA Season 102 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Friday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
The victory kept the Blazers atop the Group A standings with a league-best 6-1 record. Meanwhile, Arellano remained winless in the crossover round after absorbing its third straight loss. The Chiefs earlier swept their Group B assignments, but have now dropped to 4-3.
The defeat also pushed Arellano to second in Group B, behind Colegio de San Juan de Letran, which holds a 4-2 record.
Arellano answered every Benilde rally in the first half, with T-Mac Ongotan sinking his free throws to give the Chiefs an eight-point cushion, 40-32. The Blazers trimmed the deficit to three, but Arellano held on to take a 48-42 lead into halftime.
Benilde finally seized the lead in the third quarter. Zenric Jarque sank two free throws to put the Blazers ahead for the first time, 54-53. SJ Moore then delivered key baskets to help Benilde carry a three-point advantage into the final frame, 73-70.
The Blazers came out firing in the fourth quarter, unleashing a 10-0 run capped by Moore’s two-handed slam to stretch their lead to double digits, 80-70.
Benilde continued to pull away as Jhomel Ancheta banked in a deep triple at the end of the shot clock to extend the Blazers’ lead to 14, 86-72, with 4:36 remaining. Ian Torres then sank two free throws with just over a minute left to put the finishing touches on Benilde’s fourth straight victory.
Ancheta paced the Blazers with 18 points, four rebounds, and two steals, while Justin Sanchez added 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
Matt Jucom also returned to action for Benilde after missing the previous four games due to a hamstring injury. He finished with six points in 13 minutes and 54 seconds of playing time.
Allen Liwag, Raffy Celis, and Irele Galas, meanwhile, continued to recover from their respective injuries.
Basti Valencia led the Chiefs with 17 points and three rebounds, while Ongotan chipped in 14 points and four assists but struggled from the field, shooting just 4-of-11.
Benilde will look to extend its winning streak to five games when it faces Emilio Aguinaldo College on Thursday, October 15, at 3:00 PM. Arellano, meanwhile, will seek to snap its losing streak against San Beda University on Tuesday, October 13, at 5:00 PM.
The Scores:
Saint Benilde 94 – Ancheta 18, Sanchez 17, Moore 12, Jarque 12, Torres 9, Morales 9, Jucom 6, Podador 6, Cajucom 5, Arciaga 0, Go 0, Lorenzo 0, Daja 0.
Arellano 82 – Valencia 17, Ongotan 14, Vinoya 12, Buenaventura 10, Borromeo 8, Langit 8, Geronimo 4, Hernal 3, Camay 2, Abiera 2, Cabotaje 2, Flores 0, Manansala 0.
Quarterscores: 25-26, 42-48, 73-70, 94-82.
