TORRES FLOATER SENDS BENILDE PAST SAN BEDA, FORCES GAME 3
By: Miguel Caramoan
Ian Torres’ clutch floater in the final seconds lifted Strong Group-backed College of Saint Benilde over San Beda, 77-75, setting up a winner-takes-all Game 3 in the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball semifinals at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday.
The Blazers’ starting point guard scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half, including the decisive basket that sealed the thrilling victory. Tony Ynot led Benilde with 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Justin Sanchez added 14 markers.
“Ian took a bad shot—he knew it—but he made up for it with a big three and the game-winner. Credit to guys like Allen; he was exhausted but refused to let the second half slip away. They left it all on the floor. Playoff games are tough—everyone raises their defense—but in the end, it came down to the breaks of the game. God’s will,” said Blazers head coach Charles Tiu.
Benilde will meet the Red Lions once more on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum, aiming to replicate their Season 100 Final Four triumph and punch their ticket to the finals.
“I just want to praise the boys. All year, we’ve been through so much. It would have been a waste if our season ended after the rough loss to San Beda. We’ve never lost two games in a row this season. Today, the guys responded. Even Ynot and Sanchez made key plays when it mattered. San Beda focused on Allen and Shawn, but our other guys stepped up big time,” Tiu added.
Benilde got off to a fast start, racing to a 9-1 lead with Allen Liwag scoring seven early points. San Beda’s Jomel Puno and Penny Estacio countered, giving the Red Lions a 24-23 edge after the first quarter.
The second quarter saw Nygel Gonzales carry the scoring load for the Blazers, helping them withstand a foul-plagued San Beda team that committed 17 fouls in the first half. Despite shooting just 47.4% on 19 attempts, Benilde stayed competitive.
A late third-quarter surge—highlighted by back-to-back triples from Ynot and key baskets from Sanchez—propelled Benilde to a 60-58 lead heading into the final frame. Gonzales opened the fourth quarter with a basket to put the Blazers up 62-60. Clutch threes from Torres and Shawn Umali kept the Blazers ahead, but Bryan Sajonia’s 7-0 run briefly put San Beda up 71-68 with 3:39 left.
Torres answered with a five-point flurry, including a triple, to tie the game at 73 with 1:38 remaining. After a seesaw exchange of baskets, Torres’ final floater bounced favorably, giving Benilde the edge for good.
“I’ll give credit to the players—they didn’t panic today,” Tiu said. “We knew we’d make our run, and we expected San Beda not to fold. Even when they led late, we didn’t give up.”
