LIWAG'S COMEBACK POWERS BENILDE TO ROUT OF BASTE
By: Miguel Caramoan
College of Saint Benilde showcased the impact of its star-studded lineup as Allen Liwag returned to action, leading the Blazers to an 82-64 victory over San Sebastian College-Recoletos in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Season 100 MVP came off the bench to score 19 points and grab six rebounds, shooting an efficient 72.7% from the field. Fellow reserve Justine Sanchez added a double-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals, highlighting Benilde’s dominance in bench production. The Blazers’ reserves outscored the Golden Stags’ second unit 68-12, emphasizing the depth advantage for Charles Tiu’s squad.
“This is actually the first game that we’re complete with Allen [Liwag], [Tony] Ynot, and [Justine] Sanchez, and still some guys nursing some injuries. Actually, Allen [Liwag] only had one day of practice coming from his dengue, but he said he wanted to play and get some papawis. So thankfully, he got away unhurt and unscathed. Hopefully, he can recover better for our game on Saturday,” Tiu said, reflecting on finally having his key players together this season.
The Blazers started slowly, holding just a five-point lead after the first quarter, but a 12-0 blitz in the second period, capped by two John Morales free throws, stretched the margin to 28-16. Liwag contributed eight points in under seven minutes of first-half action, going a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, as Benilde took a 42-24 advantage into halftime.
San Sebastian tried to fight back in the third quarter, closing in with a 10-2 run capped by a Tristan Felebrico triple to make it 44-34. But Benilde answered decisively with a 9-0 run fueled by Liwag, Matthew Oli, and Ian Torres, regaining control and leading 63-43 heading into the final quarter. The Blazers comfortably maintained their lead, even though they were outscored 21-19 in the fourth.
“We basically told them to wake up and they think we're a good team and can coast through games. But I told them, we’ve seen the NCAA this year, every team can beat one another,” Tiu added on his team’s mindset for the victory.
The Blazers remain second in Group B with a 4-2 record, holding a half-game advantage over Letran. Benilde also limited turnovers to just 13 while distributing 24 assists, sustaining their league-leading average of 19.4 assists per game.
“Last game, we didn’t play as a team at all. We lacked any cohesion and we couldn’t organize anything. Something we really addressed in our practice before this game is to make sure we find our groove again defensively and share the ball. But a big part of it, we just kept throwing the ball away and we’re not going to win games turning the ball over like that,” Tiu said, reflecting on the team’s bounce-back from their loss to Arellano.
Benilde will now face Group A leader Perpetual Altas on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in what promises to be a pivotal matchup.
