BENILDE HOLDS ON AS ANCHETA’S LATE HEROICS SINK SAN SEBASTIAN
Jhomel Ancheta’s return proved vital for the College of Saint Benilde Blazers as they edged out San Sebastian College-Recoletos in a thrilling overtime contest, securing a 96-94 victory in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
After missing the previous game due to a one-game suspension for an altercation with Letran’s Paolo Javillonar, Ancheta made his mark in the clutch, sinking the game-winning layup—his only field goal of the game. Ancheta also contributed five points and three assists, with his decisive play coming at the perfect moment for the Blazers.
The game reached a deadlock in the final minute of regulation after Benilde’s Justine Sanchez hit a critical shot inside to tie the score at 94. San Sebastian’s Reymart Escobido had an opportunity to give his team the lead but missed a crucial three-pointer. With time winding down, Ancheta capitalized on the fast break, skillfully dribbling past San Sebastian’s Tristan Felebrico and nailing the game-winning layup to put the Blazers ahead 96-94.
In a dramatic final play, Escobido found himself open in the corner for a potential game-winning triple, but his shot missed, sealing the victory for Benilde and extending the Golden Stags' losing streak.
Despite the win, Benilde struggled with turnovers, committing 31 throughout the game, which allowed San Sebastian to score 33 points off those errors. Blazers head coach Charles Tiu expressed frustration with his team’s performance.
“Maybe the worst win in my life. I don’t even want to say anything because I’m mad. It’s an embarrassment. We’re a joke right now. We gave them the ball 31 times. Parang binibigay namin sa kanila yung bola eh,” said Tiu postgame. “It’s one of our worst games. We played like we were in high school—actually parang grade school na nga kami. We really have to do better.”
Benilde maintained their position at the top of the standings with a 5-1 record.
The Blazers built a commanding lead early, entering halftime up 58-37 and stretching their advantage to 78-61 by the end of the third quarter. However, San Sebastian launched a furious rally in the fourth, taking advantage of 18 turnovers by Benilde to fuel an 18-3 run. The Golden Stags eventually tied the game at 87 with just 23 seconds left, but missed opportunities in the closing moments prevented them from completing the comeback.
Tony Ynot led Benilde with an impressive stat line of 28 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds, shooting an efficient 61.5 percent from the field. Allen Liwag also had a solid outing, posting a double-double with 17 points and 11 boards.
Benilde will look to carry their momentum into their next game against Arellano University on Friday, October 4, at 12:00 p.m.
