MANILA, Philippines–San Sebastian coach Ato Agustin tinkered with his rotation and nearly paid dearly for it.
The Stags almost blew a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter before nipping the St. Benilde Blazers, 75-74, Monday to keep the top spot in the 86th NCAA basketball tournament at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
The Blazers outplayed Agustin’s reserve players and closed in at 71-74 on Mark de Guzman’s triple with 13 seconds remaining.
Anthony del Rio buried a buffer free throw in the dwindling seconds for 75-71, and the Stags rendered De Guzman’s buzzer-beating three-pointer inconsequential.
“We were giving our other players a chance as I was trying to rest my veterans because they were a little bit spent in our last game,” said Agustin, whose Stags stretched their unbeaten start to six games.
Later, Mapua finished with a flourish in an 82-68 rout of Emilio Aguinaldo College.
Seven players led by the vastly improved Mark Acosta’s 14 points scored eight or more as the Cardinals improved to 4-2 and gained a share of third with the Jose Rizal U Bombers.
The Cardinals broke away after the Generals closed in at 62-68 midway in the fourth period with Erwin Cornejo hitting consecutive layups to put the outcome beyond doubt.
It was the Generals’ fourth defeat in five games, the same card of idle Perpetual Help.
In juniors’ play, St. Benilde-La Salle Green Hills stunned San Sebastian, 71-65, to seize solo second place with a 3-1 slate, while Mapua toppled EAC, 88-74, to improve to 3-3.
The senior scores:
First Game
SAN SEBASTIAN 75—Raymundo 12, Abueva 12, Pascual 10, del Rio 8, Bulawan 7, Semira 6, E. Gatchalian 6, Sangalang 4, Maconocido 4, Gorospe 2, dela Cruz 2, Maiquez 2, J. Gatchalian 0, Najorda 0.
ST. BENILDE 74—Lastimosa 20, de Guzman 13, Abolucion 10, dela Paz 7, McCoy 7, Wong 6, Nayve 5, Manalac 4, Argamino 1, Sinco 1, Tan 0.
Quarters: 22-21, 45-39, 62-53, 75-74
Second Game
MAPUA 82—Acosta 14, Ranises 13, Cornejo 11,Banal 9, Sarangay 8, Guillermo 8, Parala 8, Mangahas 6, Pascual 5.
EAC 68—Mendoza 23, Vargas 15, Cubo 10, Chiong 7, Santos 5, L. Yaya 4, Lapitan 2, Jamon 2, R. Yaya 0, Tuazon 0.
Quarters: 10-10, 29-27, 53-48, 82-68
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