The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers took command over the Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals, 87-82, securing a twice-to-beat advantage and solidifying their hold on the second seed in Group B of the NCAA, today, Nov. 21, at the Filoil Ecoil Centre in San Juan City.
Capitalizing on Benilde’s early misses, EAC had JP Bagay at their helm with a flurry of timely triples to quickly seize control and build a seven-point cushion. Allen Liwag and Matthew Oli kept the Blazers within reach with strong attacks to the rim and putbacks that steadied the Taft offense. SJ Moore added a late burst, but the Generals owned the opening frame, 17-23.
The Blazers opened the second quarter with an 8-2 run sparked by Moore and sealed with a triple by Bonn Daja to tie the game, 25-25. Both teams traded baskets until EJ Castillo powered a 12-2 run from the inside. Still, Benilde held firm, entering halftime trailing by just ten, 37-47.
Coming out of halftime the Blazers immediately cranked up the tempo, intent on erasing the 10-point lead by the Generals. Spearheaded by Liwag’s bruising finishes inside and Oli’s energetic display, the turning point of the game came near. In the final seconds of the quarter, Anton Eusebio’s momentum-shifting triple turned the game into a one-possession play, 65-67, still in favor of the Generals.
In the high-stakes final quarter, Jio Gonzaga put on a blazing showcase on both sides of the court and gave Benilde the lead early in the final canto. The Blazers rode that momentum to build an eight-point cushion in crunch time, but Aldeo Lucero answered with a fiery push that dragged EAC back within three, 81–78, inside the last two minutes. From there, Galas’ deuce and Oli’s crucial free throws gave the Blazers a steady advantage and ultimately led to a successful late-game resurgence, earning them the win with a final score of 87-82.
Player of the Game Liwag returned with a statement play against his former alma mater with 16 points, 2 assists, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block. The victory capped the Blazers’ eliminations run with a 9-4 record.
The Blazers will continue their Season 101 campaign in the quarterfinals against the Mapua University (MU) Cardinals on Nov. 26 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre, with a live telecast on Heart of Asia and the NCAA Philippines Facebook and YouTube pages.
Box Scores:
DLS-CSB (87): Liwag 16, Oli 14, Gonzaga 12, Moore 9, Eusebio 9, Daja 6, Galas 5, Morales 5, Gaspay 4, Celis 3, Jalalon 2, Cometa 2
EAC (82): Bagay 25, Lucero 20, Castillo 10, Quinal 7, Omandac 6, Angeles 5, Ochavo 3, Tolentino 2, Bacud 2, Dominguez 2
