The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers suffered a heartbreaking loss versus the Lyceum of the Philippines (LPU) Pirates, 81-82, entering the Final Four of #NCAA100 with a 14-4 record, today, Nov. 15, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
Jhomel Ancheta and Mark Sangco spearheaded the Blazers against the Pirates as they gunned down their opponents in the paint. The Muralla Squad had Ato Barba shooting perfectly from the field in this quarter as they slipped away from the grasp of the Blazers, 17-26.
The Blazers were trailing behind, 27-40, but Allen Liwag held down the fort on Taft’s side. The men cladded in red and silver, on the other hand, capitalized on their speed as they snatched possessions from the men in green and white. The Pirates remained on top of the game in the first half of the quarter, albeit the Blazers slowly clawing their way out, 42-46.
The third quarter saw more action from Pirates’ Barba along with JM Bravo and Renz Villegas as they unleashed a full attack on both ends of the floor. Justine Sanchez stood up in the time of need of the Blazers as he led one counter-offensive after another. The Blazers were still outpaced by the Pirates, 62-65.
The fourth quarter of the game left the crowd on the edge of their seats with nail-biting plays from both teams. The Blazers were left trailing behind, 62-71, however, Ancheta and Gab Cometa quickly reduced the gap to a single-possession game. The Pirates, with Villegas at their helm, defended their lead, but Liwag waltzed through their defense and cut down the game into a blood-curdling single-point lead for the Pirates with 5 seconds left on the clock. Ultimately, despite contention from the Blazers, the Pirates prevailed, 81-82.
Benilde’s best player of the game was Ancheta with 18 points, 7 assists, and a steal; while Liwag was the highest scorer for the team with 20 points, 3 assists, and a steal.
Despite enduring yet another loss, the Benilde Blazers will be heading to the semifinals of #NCAASeason100 with a twice-to-beat advantage along with the Mapua University (MU) Cardinals.
The schedule for the semifinal games is yet to be announced.
