Games on September 10
(The Arena, San Juan)
10 a.m. JRU vs CSB-La Salle Greenhills (Jrs)
2 p.m. JRU vs St Benilde (Srs)
College of Saint Benilde won back-to-back games for the first time in the 86th NCAA basketball tournament but it almost failed to do such feat against Arellano University on Friday.
The Blazers nearly paid for a crucial mistake when the Chiefs bungled two clutch freethrows in the dying seconds to escape with a 71-69 victory at The Arena in San Juan. Holding a precarious 70-69 lead, CSB’s Ian de la Paz gave up a foul on a driving Jerald Lapuz with 5.3 seconds remaining. But to the delight of a very sparse Benildean crowd, the burly Lapuz muffed both foul shots and Mark de Guzman grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 2.2 ticks left.
De Guzman, who finished with 19 points, made just one of two charities to make it a two-point lead and Arellano’s Vergel Zulueta nearly gave St Benilde a shocking loss as his miracle shot from near midcourt hit the left side of the rim at the buzzer. The win enabled the squad of coach Richard del Rosario to hike their record to four wins and eight losses for solo seventh spot.
Although his team has a slim shot of making the Final Four, del Rosario, who was recently hired as one of the new assistant coaches of B-Meg Derby Ace in the PBA, has somehow thrown the white flag as far as that race is concerned. “I’m not thinking of us reaching the Final Four,” del Rosario. “The important thing for us now is to get better and win more games.”
It was the first time that the green-and-black clad cagers won consecutive matches since the first two games of last season. And in accomplishing such, the Blazers had to made up for an 11-point first quarter deficit to make the game a see-saw affair.
But with St Benilde leading by a slim margin, de Guzman, who helped his team climb back in the second canto, nearly cost his team a win when he shot an ill-advised trey with 17 seconds on the shot clock. Although de la Paz, who finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, was able to grab the rebound and was fouled, he failed to convert one from the 15-foot line that enabled the Chiefs to gain a final chance to win.
CSB started the streak on Monday when it beat Emilio Aguinaldo College, 83-64, behind a stellar game from rookie Luis Sinco.
Sinco, a former Ateneo Blue Eaglet, erupted for a career-high 21 points as the Blazers turned a slim halftime lead into a commanding win in the final two periods.
Prior to this, the Blazers suffered consecutive losses at the expense of perennial title contenders San Beda (89-70) and San Sebastian (62-51). San Beda (11-0) and San Sebastian (10-1) have already clinched spots in the Final Four. In third spot is Jose Rizal University (8-2) while Mapua is in fourth (7-4). Arellano and Letran are tied for fifth (4-7), EAC is in eighth (2-10) while Perpetual is dwelling at the cellar (0-10).
Box scores:
ST BENILDE 71 – de Guzman 19, de la Paz 11, Lastimosa 9, Tan 7, Nayve 7, McCoy 4, Wong 4, Argamino 4, Abolucion 3, Sinco 2, Manalac 1, Amin 0.
ARELLANO 69 – Celada 24, Ciriacruz 12, Lapuz 8, Zulueta 7, del Rosario 4, Anquilo 4, Acidre 4, Caperal 4, Palma 2.
Quarterrs: 15-26; 37-34; 56-53; 71-69.
