The De La-Salle College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers yielded with a double-digit deficit against the San Beda University (SBU) Red Lions, 69-82, surrendering the top seed to their rivals at the end of the eliminations round today, Nov. 10, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The Red Lions surged their way into an early lead as John Bonzalida opened the scoreboard with a three-pointer. Meanwhile, the Blazers struggled to find their rhythm as Andrei Ugaddan continued to knock down baskets, fueling a 5-0 run for San Beda. Jhommel Ancheta and Justine Sanchez then spearheaded Benilde’s attempt to regain momentum, keeping the Taft squad within reach. Ian Torres drained a late triple to trim the deficit, but the Red Lions maintained their lead at the end of the opener, 16-20.
The Blazers faced another setback as the Mendiola squad capitalized on Jimuel Reyes’ layup and Ugaddan’s trips to the line, dictating the pace in the second canto. Matthew Jucom answered with a jumper for the men in green and white, but Aldous Torculas remained relentless on the offensive end, keeping the Taft squad at bay. However, Kyle Jamora connected from beyond the arc before Ugaddan drained another triple, further pulling ahead. Ancheta converted both free throws late in the quarter, but the Blazers remained in a tough spot as San Beda carried a commanding 30-48 lead into halftime.
In the third frame, the Taft squad looked to mount a comeback, with Allen Liwag opening the scoring through a jumper, followed by Ancheta’s close-range finish. The Red Lions respond with Torculas and Bonzalida sustaining their offensive momentum. Sanchez fired from long range before Celis buried a triple, further trimming the deficit. Still, Zedjay Etulle helped keep San Beda’s offense rolling as the team held on to a 49-62 lead heading into the final quarter.
The decider saw both squads trading baskets from beyond the arc, as Ugaddan struck first with a triple before Sanchez answered for the Blazers. Torres attempted to spark a Taft-side rally with a timely three-pointer, but Etulle retaliated for San Beda, with Torculas further extending their lead through a dunk. Sanchez knocked down another triple in the closing minutes, while Nicholas Lorenzo added a layup in Benilde’s final push. In the end, the Blazers could not overcome the deficit, absorbing a 69-82 loss.
The Blazers advance to the next round with a quarterfinal showdown against the twice-to-beat Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals.
Box Scores:
DLS-CSB (69) - Sanchez 15, Ancheta 11, Torres 10, Liwag 7, Morales 6, Celis 5, Galas 5, Jucom 6, Lorenzo 2, Cajucom 2, Moore 2, Jarque 0, Podador 0, Arciaga 0
SBU (82) - Ugaddan 18, Reyes 12, Torculas 11, Bonzalida 10, Etulle 8, Jamora 7, Marcelo 6, Jalbuena 4, Lina 3, Puno 2, Calimag 1, Estacio 0, Hawkins 0, Dabao 0
Quarter Scores: 16-20, 30-48, 49-62, 69-82
