SANCHEZ SHINES AS BENILDE SECURES 12TH WIN DESPITE FOURTH-QUARTER SCARE

College of Saint Benilde managed to stave off a late-game surge by the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, holding on for a 61-56 win in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil Ecooil Centre in San Juan. 

The victory extended Benilde’s win streak to six games and pushed their season record to 12-2, bringing them within reach of a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoffs. The Blazers built a solid lead early, leading by as much as 51-34 going into the fourth quarter. However, they struggled to maintain that cushion as the Altas staged a furious comeback, fueled by Cris Pagaran’s 11 points in the final frame. Benilde’s offense went cold, scoring just 10 points in the quarter on 4-of-15 shooting and struggling to find stops on defense.

Despite the close call, head coach Charles Tiu remained focused on his team’s need for improvement, particularly in closing out games, a challenge he noted had emerged in recent outings. 

“We haven’t been closing out games well the last two outings, and it’s something we definitely need to fix. I'm not satisfied with how we’re ending games,” Tiu commented.

On the bright side for Benilde, Justine Sanchez led the scoring with 16 points and six rebounds. After a quiet three-point outing against Emilio Aguinaldo College three days prior, Sanchez was motivated to step up his game. 

“Balikan natin yung last game, sa sobrang sama ng gabi ko, inisip ko ng maigi yung game na ito. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko na mas masarap magbakasyon ng panalo. So ayun, nadala ko yun dito,” said Sanchez.

Allen Liwag also chipped in 10 points and six rebounds, keeping the Blazers steady in key moments. 

With only four games left in the season, Benilde is focused on securing the twice-to-beat advantage and will next face the Letran Knights on Friday.