By: Miguel Marco
Despite missing several key players due to illness, the College of St. Benilde showed resilience and handed Colegio de San Juan de Letran another defeat, securing a 95-80 victory in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
The Blazers played without Allen Liwag, Gab Cometa, Ernest Daja, and two other teammates, yet still managed to impose their will against the Knights, who were also missing forward Jun Roque due to sickness.
Benilde leaned on a collective effort to overcome its depleted lineup, following up its morale-boosting 74-63 win over Emilio Aguinaldo College to improve to 2-1 in Group B.
“Credit to our guys. Half the team’s sick. We were missing a lot of key players, although Letran also missed a few key guys. But it’s a good win. This is one of our better games this season,” said Benilde head coach Charles Tiu, who himself is battling illness.
Benilde opened the game strong with a 31-18 surge in the first quarter. But the Knights countered with a 27-13 run capped by a Jonathan Manalili triple to take a 45-44 halftime lead.
Trailing 60-58 in the third, Justine Sanchez and Matthew Oli combined for seven unanswered points to swing momentum back to the Blazers. Manalili’s free throws then trimmed the gap to 65-62 entering the final frame.
The Blazers kept Letran at bay in the fourth quarter, closing out the game with an 11-0 run behind the efforts of Shawn Umali, Sanchez, and Jhommel Ancheta to seal the 95-80 win.
“We were up seven and we made some not-so-smart plays, falling on 3-point shooters and doing turnovers. But at least we were able to get stops when it mattered. I think that was the difference in the game,” added Tiu.
Sanchez spearheaded Benilde’s attack with 23 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting, along with five rebounds.
“His three-point shooting’s been really good this whole season. It’s a testament to him and the work he’s put. He’s been one of our best offensive players,” Tiu said of Sanchez’s breakout performance.
“His maturity has really shown. He came up big and hit big shots when we needed them. It was one of the biggest reasons why we won the game today,” he added.
Oli and Umali chipped in 20 and 13 points, respectively, with the former going a perfect 7-of-7 from the field.
Tony Ynot, who had missed the last two games due to a left leg injury, saw limited minutes in the win.
The Blazers aim to carry their momentum when they face the JRU Heavy Bombers on Sunday at the same venue.
Meanwhile, Letran’s struggles deepened as the three-time defending champions fell to 0-3, still searching for their first win of the season.
Manalili paced the Knights with 23 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Chad Gammad scored 18, while Deo Cuajao added 15.
The Knights will attempt to finally break through when they battle the EAC Generals on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
Benilde 95 – Sanchez 23, Oli 20, Umali 13, Ancheta 12, Moore 8, Celis 6, Gaspay 4, Torres 4, Ynot 1, Eusebio 0, Galas 0, Morales 0
Letran 80 – Manalili 23, Gammad 18, Cuajao 15, Buensalida 7, Santos 7, Omega 5, Gazzingan 4, Tapenio 1, Rosilio 0, Silorio 0, Yusi 0
Quarterscores: 31-18, 44-45, 65-62, 95-80
