BENILDE EXTENDS WINNING STREAK WITH DOMINANT WIN OVER JRU
The College of Saint Benilde Blazers continued their impressive run in the NCAA Seniors Basketball Tournament, extending their winning streak to four games with a decisive 80-65 victory over the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Bombers at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
With this win, Benilde solidified its position atop the standings, boasting a record of 10 wins and 2 losses, while JRU fell to a tie with San Sebastian College-Recoletos at the bottom of the standings with a 3-9 record.
Benilde Head Coach Charles Tiu emphasized the team’s approach to each game, regardless of the opponent. “We play every team the same way; that’s how we treat the NCAA. We respect every team,” he stated after the game. He acknowledged JRU’s resilience, noting, “They’re a good team, tough, and they always play every team close. They’ve had a few close games that they lost at the end, so we wanted to make sure we had some breathing room and played our game.”
The match started with JRU gaining an early 9-4 lead, but Benilde's Ian Torres quickly turned the tide, contributing eight points off the bench to help the Blazers gain a 21-17 advantage by the end of the first quarter.
A dominant 12-2 run to open the second quarter allowed Benilde to surge ahead, establishing a comfortable 33-19 lead. However, the Bombers fought back with a 13-2 run of their own, narrowing the gap to 35-32 midway through the period. Justine Sanchez, Joshua Cajucom, and Gab Cometa then combined to orchestrate a 7-1 run, giving Benilde a solid cushion at halftime, 42-33.
After the break, Allen Liwag and Jhomel Ancheta shone for the Blazers, combining for 18 points in the third quarter and pushing Benilde’s lead to 68-40. Although Joshua Guiab and the Bombers made a push in the final period, they could not overcome the deficit, as the Blazers led by as much as 33 points to secure the victory and their four-game winning streak.
Despite the success, Coach Tiu remains cautious about the team's path to the Final Four. “I think we still have a long way to go; we haven't even clinched a Final Four spot yet. Our goal right now is to finish as the top seed in the eliminations. The harder part of our schedule is coming up, with all the teams fighting for a Final Four spot,” Tiu remarked.
Looking ahead, the Blazers face a challenging schedule that includes matchups against Lyceum, EAC, Perpetual, Letran, Mapua, and San Beda. “I think that’s where the real tests for us will be, and hopefully, we can respond and play well,” Tiu added.
In the standout performance of the game, Ian Torres led Benilde with 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting off the bench, while Allen Liwag contributed a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Blazers’ tough run begins against the Lyceum of the Philippines on Wednesday, October 23, at 11 a.m.
