ANCHETA SHINES AGAIN AS BENILDE DOWNS SAN BEDA
Jhomel Ancheta once again proved to be a nightmare for the San Beda Red Lions, leading the College of St. Benilde Blazers to a 70-62 victory in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre. Ancheta was stellar for the Blazers, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds, including a clutch three-pointer that sealed the win. His performance came after a tough game against Mapúa, and head coach Charles Tiu was quick to praise his effort.
"He didn't have a great game against Mapua the last time. I told him may chance kang bumawi ngayon. He's a big part of our team. He really had a big game for us," Tiu said.
With the win, Benilde bounced back from that painful Mapúa loss, improving to a 14-3 record and holding firm onto the top spot in the standings.
The game had its moments of tension, especially in the third quarter when San Beda came from behind to briefly take a 62-61 lead. Bismarck Lina, James Payosing, and Penny Estacio sparked the Red Lions’ push, but it was short-lived. Allen Liwag's fadeaway jumper ignited a 7-0 run for Benilde, capped off by Ancheta’s back-breaking triple with 44.4 seconds left to put the Blazers up 68-62.
San Beda missed three consecutive shots during the critical stretch, and a turnover by Lina effectively ended their chances. Ian Torres hit two free throws to seal the victory for Benilde, 70-62.
"It's a big win for us. Obviously any time you play San Beda, they're one of the best teams. They got a really deep lineup. It's always a tough game," Tiu said. "We don't see it as sweeping them. We just take it one game at a time. We wanted to bounce back from a painful loss against Mapua."
The Blazers were unfazed by the raucous San Beda crowd, using a 6-0 swing late in the second quarter, highlighted by Ancheta’s back-to-back triples, to take a 32-26 lead. The Red Lions responded, narrowing the gap to 34-31 at halftime.
Benilde carried its momentum into the third period, pushing its lead to 41-33 on a Mark Sangco three-pointer. However, San Beda fought back, tying the game at 42-all with two free throws from Andrada. Estacio and Payosing then combined to put the Red Lions ahead, 48-47, but Tony Ynot answered with five quick points, including a three-pointer, to silence the crowd and give the Blazers a 52-48 lead heading into the final quarter.
San Beda was unable to keep pace in the payoff period, succumbing to the Blazers' gritty defense and timely scoring.
Liwag was also instrumental in the victory, finishing with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Justine Sanchez contributed 13 points and seven boards, while Ynot provided a spark with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Benilde will look to build on this win when they face Lyceum of the Philippines University in a postponed game on Friday, Nov. 15, at 12:00 p.m. at the Filoil EcoOil Center.
