The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers dispatched the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Heavy Bombers, 84-69, to secure their seventh win in #NCAA100, today, Oct. 8, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Benilde Blazers opened the game with a fiery start. Rookie point guard Jhomel Ancheta led the Taft squad's offense, scoring seven straight points to give the Blazers an early nine-point cushion, 17-8, midway through the first quarter. The tight defense from the Taft squad made it difficult for the Heavy Bombers to find their rhythm. However, JRU leaned on team captain Joshua Guiab’s inside presence to stay within reach. The quarter ended with the Blazers holding a 10-point lead, 27-17.
The second quarter saw a similar pace from the Blazers. Coach Charles Tiu's second unit dominated the paint while raining threes from downtown. Roger Ondoa and Allen Liwag powered through JRU’s defense, while Gab Cometa and Ian Torres knocked down a series of three-pointers. The Blazers extended their lead to 21 points midway through the period, 48-27. Their suffocating defense limited the Heavy Bombers to just 12 points, allowing Benilde to stretch the lead to 26 points by halftime, 55-29.
The third period followed a similar script, with the Blazers relentlessly adding to their lead, scoring from all areas of the court. The Heavy Bombers, on the other hand, struggled to find any open looks as the Taft squad contested nearly every shot. Guiab was the lone bright spot for JRU, battling his way to the basket for tough points. Despite his valiant efforts to trim the deficit, the Blazers maintained control, ending the quarter with a commanding 23-point lead, 70-47.
After a series of meltdowns for the Blazers in their previous games, the Taft squad made sure to secure the win this time around, as the men in green and white never took their foot out of the gas. The Blazers never looked back and ultimately took home the win, 84-69.
Ancheta was named Player of the Game after scoring a career- high 17 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and dishing out an assist. Cometa, along with Liwag, Justine Sanchez, and Mark Sangco, also reached double figures, with Cometa scoring 15 points and the others adding 12 points each.
The Benilde Blazers sit at the top of the standings at the end of the first round with a 7-2 win-loss record, marking their best start of the decade. The second round schedule is yet to be determined.
Box Scores:
DLS-CSB (84): Ancheta 17, Cometa 15, Liwag 12, Sanchez 12, Sangco 12, Ondoa 9, Torres 5, Jarque 2, Cajucom 0, Eusebio 0, Serrano 0, Ynot 0
JRU (69): Guiab 24, Pangilinan 12, Raymundo 12, Argente 5, Mosqueda 5, Bernardo 3, De Jesus 2, Garcia 2, Ferrer 2, Barrera 0, Benitez 0, Sarmiento 0
