Not even the return of Carlo Lastimosa can prevent College of Saint Benilde from going down 0-2 in the 87th NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Lastimosa returned from a one-game absence but the Blazers failed to stop Calvin Abueva and the rest of the San Sebastian Stags to suffer a 86-78 loss on Friday at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
The 2010 Rookie of the Year came back from a throat infection and scored 20 points but the squad failed to complete a 15-point comeback in the third quarter to suffer another defeat.St Benilde lost its first two games for the first time since the 2004 season. That year, the Blazers under current La Salle assistant Tonichi Yturri placed last in the eight-team league at 2-12.
Ironically, Perpetual Help also hosted that season.
The Blazers trailed 49-35 at the half and 54-39 with 8:32 left in the third on a Lyle Antipuesto triple. But Jonathan Grey and Lastimosa led a CSB comeback, unveiling a 15-3 run with the latter completing a three-point play with 5:19 remaining in the said period. However, that was the last threat for the Blazers as they relied on Ian Sangalang and their second unit led by Krushev Ferrer, Michael Miranda and Antipuesto to put the lead back at 15 points.
Grey had 12 points and three rebounds while Luis Sinco added 11 points, three rebounds and six assists. The squad coached by Richard del Rosario opened their season with a stunning 75-63 loss to guest team Lyceum. With Lastimosa out, the Blazers lost a first quarter as the Pirates scored a win in this their first-ever game in the country’s oldest collegiate league.
Mark Romero had 20 points and 11 rebounds with Juan Taha adding 12 points and five boards. St Benilde hopes to get into the win column when it takes on Mapua on Wednesday. The Cardinals will play minus 6-foot-7 Fil-Palestinian Yousef Taha after figuring in an altercation with Letran’s Kevin Alas in their 76-65 loss in the opener.
If the Blazers are struggling, their junior counterparts are off to a strong start. CSB-La Salle Greenhills won its first two games with wins over Lyceum and San Sebastian.
The Greenies destroyed Lyceum, 93-23, on Monday behind 18 points and five rebounds from Mario Bonleon and 13 points from Thomas Torres. Four days later, Torres registered 25 points, five rebounds, four assists and six assists while Bonleon and Angelo Vito added 14 and 10 points, apiece, as LSGH routs last year’s finalist San Sebastian, 86-65.
Box scores:
San Sebastian 86 – Sangalang 16, Abueva 15, Pascual 10, Ferrer 10, Antipuesto 9, Miranda 8, Maiquez 7, del Rio 4, J. Dela Cruz 2, Balucanag 2, Vitug 2, Semira 1
CSB 78 – Lastimosa 20, Grey 12, Sinco 11, Taha 9, Tan 7, Romero 6, Dela Paz 5, Pate 5, Altamirano 2, McCoy 1, Nayve 0, Deles 0
Quarter scoring: 24-16, 49-35, 70-57, 86-78
