By Kevin Estrada
College of St. Benilde overcame the tough challenge of San Beda to escape in overtime, 70-65, in the NCAA Season 100 on Tuesday at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan.
The Blazers of Charles Tiu needed five more minutes to take down the defending champions, transferees Jhomel Ancheta, Winston Ynot and Allen Liwag lifted the taft-based squad to the top of the team standings after a tight contest.
“We basically executed how we want,” said a relieved Tiu, whose team now won their second in as many games. “I like that we didn’t panic.”
Ancheta and Ynot led the Benilde backcourt, with the former leading them with 14 points and the latter not far behind by scoring 13 points against his old alma mater.
Slotman Liwag then hit a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds, and the former EAC General was a menace in defense by blocking three shots in the process.
Bryan Sajonia led San Beda for the second straight outing, scoring 19 to lead all players. Yukien Andrada then added 13 and James Payosing pitched in for 10 markers for the Red Lions.
The nerves have gotten to both San Beda and Benilde the entire contest, which was evident in their horrible free throw shooting after combining for 20/45 (44%) from the stripe.
“It’s hard as a coach, no matter how much you ask them to shoot free throws,” Tiu then lamented, referring to Liwag missing all of his four charity attempts. “Pero it is what it is, we got lucky they [San Beda] also missed their free throws.”
The cat and mouse game saw Benilde starting every quarter on a blitz, only for San Beda to reply with a rally of their own, setting a wild finish in regulation where Ancheta was thought to have won it after firing in a booming triple in front of Sajonia with 19.7 seconds remaining to give them a 60-58 lead.
However, Andrada replied almost five seconds later after their timeout, as he spun around Mark Sangco to scoop an uncontested layup to tie the game, as San Beda forced overtime thanks to their last-ditch defensive stand, that saw Liwag missed the putback after Ynot’s initial try from beyond the arc went short.
But Ancheta made his amends in the extra session where he hit the first five points of overtime, saving his coach’s blushes as he finally had his big break in the grand old league.
“Lagi kong iniisip na ready lang ako, in case na bunutin ako,” said the former CEU Scorpion from San Mateo, Rizal.
The scores:
ST. BENILDE 70 – Ancheta 14, Ynot 13, Liwag 12, Sangco 7, Cometa 6, Oli 5, Torres 4, Morales 4, Sanchez 3, Eusebio 2, Cajucom 0, Turco 0
SAN BEDA 65 – Sajonia 19, Andrada 13, Payosing 10, Puno 7, Gonzales 6, Calimag 5, Celzo 3, Songcuya 2, Royo 0, Bonzalida 0, Tagle 0, Estacio 0, Jalbuena 0
Quarter scores: 19-11, 32-33, 52-47, 60-60 (reg.), 70-65 (OT)
