MANILA – College of St. Benilde Blazers vented its ire at Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers with a dominant 84-69 win in NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Jhomel Ancheta led the way with 17 points and five rebounds, while Gab Cometa contributed 15 points as the Blazers bounced back from a 75-73 loss to the Arellano University Chiefs last week.
Allen Liwag, Marc Sangco, and Justine Sanchez contributed 12 markers apiece for the Blazers, which concluded the first round of eliminations on top of the standings with a 7-2 win-loss slate.
Despite holding on to the No. 1 spot, Blazers head coach Charles Tiu said he was not that happy with their first round performance, especially their close loss to the Chiefs and the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights.
“I am not happy with how we end the first round of eliminations,” Tiu said in a post-game interview. “In our first four games in the first round, I am appeased, but in the next ones, I am not.”
“At least there is something the team can hold on, that we are No. 1 after the first round, but it is (finishing on top) after the second round and after the playoffs that really matters,” he added.
Joshua Guiab led the way for the Heavy Bombers with 24 points, while Marvin James Raymundo and Joseph Pangilinan ended with 12 apiece. They dropped to a 3-6 win-loss record.
Meanwhile, Yukien Andrada took over San Beda University Red Lions’ offense in overtime as they defeated Mapua University Cardinals, 76-69, in a rematch of last season’s finalists.
Andrada connected five of his team’s 10 points in the extra period as the Red Lions moved up to joint second place with the Cardinals and the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights with a 6-3 win-loss slate.
“Very thankful ako sa teammates ko sa tiwala, kahit na I have been missing my shots the past few games; ibinibigay pa din nila sa akin ang bola,” said Andrada, who finished the game with 18 points and nine rebounds./PN
