Benilde overcomes illness, hands Letran third straight loss
By: Miguel Marco
College of St. Benilde proved its depth and resilience, battling through a shorthanded roster to deal Colegio de San Juan de Letran another setback, 95-80, in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Both programs are backed by Strong Group Athletics, but on this day it was the Blazers who showcased their grit despite missing key players Allen Liwag, Gab Cometa, Ernest Daja, and two other teammates due to illness. Letran also played without forward Jun Roque, sidelined by sickness.
Coming off a confidence-boosting win over Emilio Aguinaldo College, the Blazers leaned on balanced contributions and timely scoring bursts to improve to 2-1 in Group B.
“Credit to our guys. Half the team’s sick. We were missing a lot of key players, although Letran also missed a few key guys. But it’s a good win. This is one of our better games this season,” said Benilde head coach Charles Tiu, who himself was under the weather.
Benilde roared out of the gates with a 31-18 first-quarter blitz, only for Letran to respond with a 27-13 surge capped by a Jonathan Manalili three-pointer to grab a 45-44 halftime advantage.
The Knights stayed ahead 60-58 midway through the third before Justine Sanchez and Matthew Oli sparked a seven-point swing for Benilde. Manalili’s free throws trimmed the deficit to 65-62 entering the fourth, but that would be the closest Letran came.
Behind Sanchez, Shawn Umali, and Jhommel Ancheta, the Blazers clamped down defensively and closed the game on an 11-0 run to secure the victory.
“We were up seven and we made some not-so-smart plays—fouling three-point shooters, committing turnovers. But at least we got stops when it mattered. I think that was the difference,” Tiu added.
Sanchez delivered his finest outing of the season with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting, along with five rebounds.
“His three-point shooting’s been really good this whole season. It’s a testament to his work. He’s been one of our best offensive players,” Tiu praised. “His maturity has really shown. He came up big and hit shots when we needed them.”
Oli provided 20 points on a perfect 7-of-7 clip, while Umali added 13. Ancheta chipped in 12 in the win, while returning guard Tony Ynot saw limited action after missing two games with a leg injury.
The Blazers look to build on their momentum when they take on the JRU Heavy Bombers on Sunday at the same venue.
Letran, meanwhile, remains winless at 0-3, a far cry from its championship pedigree. Manalili nearly recorded a triple-double with 23 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Chad Gammad tallied 18, while Deo Cuajao finished with 15.
The Knights will try to snap their skid when they battle EAC on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
