The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers suffered a hard-fought defeat in Game 1 of the NCAA Season 100 Finals, as they lost to the Mapua University (MU) Cardinals, 73-84, today, Dec. 1, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Both teams started strong, with early offense setting the tone. Allen Liwag, Jhomel Ancheta, and Mark Sangco scored tough baskets in the paint for the Blazers, while Lawrence Mangubat and Clint Escamis hit jump shots to build a seven-point lead. Escamis dominated late in the quarter with a scoring surge, but the Blazers stayed within striking distance after a five-point swing from Gab Cometa and Matthew Oli, ending the period at 20-26.
When everything seemed to cool down, Escamis continued to be a ball of fire, after another set of tough and-one conversions, adding to the Cardinals’ lead, 24-36. Despite the masterclass from Escamis, the Taft squad kept their composure and slowly climbed their way back, trimming the Mapua lead to just five at the end of the half, 42-37.
Determined to turn things around, the Blazers piled on their momentum from the first half, as they started the third canto with an early 4-0 nothing run, cutting the deficit to just one, 41-42. Despite the early signs of a comeback, the Cardinals remained intact, putting on a collaborative effort to keep their lead, 46-55. After an exchange of baskets throughout the quarter, Mapua would eventually get back up by nine points, to end the period with the lead, 48-57.
The Cardinals never looked back, unleashing a relentless barrage from all corners of the court. The Blazers struggled to find their rhythm on both ends, committing 23 turnovers and conceding a staggering 34 points off those mistakes.
Escamis was named player of the game after nearly replicating his career high with 30 points, 5 steals, and 4 assists. Three players ended up in double figures for the Blazers, with Liwag, Cometa, and Ancheta dropping 18, 13, and 10 points respectively.
The Blazers look to even things up as they battle the Cardinals in a must-win Game 2 on Dec. 7 at the same venue, with a live telecast on Heart of Asia and the NCAA Philippines Facebook and YouTube pages.
Box Scores:
DLS-CSB (73): Liwag 18, Cometa 13, Ancheta 10, Sangco 9, Sanchez 9, Ynot 7, Oli 3, Eusebio 2, Torres 2, Morales 0
MU (84): Escamis 30, Recto 15, Hubilla 9, Mangubat 8, Jabonete 8, Concepcion 4, Cuenco 4, Bancale 3, Igliane 3, Abdulla 0
