Steadier at the line, Stags edge Blazers

San Sebastian’s Michael Calisaan shoots a jumper against College of St. Benilde in the NCAA Season 92 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday, June 26, 2016, at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

It all came down to free throws as San Sebastian College kept College of St. Benilde at bay, 54-49, in its first game in the NCAA Season 92 men’s basketball tournament Sunday at San Juan Arena. 

Ian Valdez and Alvin Capobres followed each other to the free throw line and both split their chances for the Golden Stags’ final two points.

Down 52-49, Edward Dixon had a chance to make it a one-point game for the Blazers but he missed his chances in the charity stripe with 46.6 seconds remaining in the game.

Referees awarded Dixon with a replacement free throw after a lane violation was committed during his second try but that, too, didn’t find the bottom of the net.

San Sebastian held a healthy 12-point lead after the third quarter, but St. Benilde slowly chipped away lead until Dixon failed to capitalize on his freebies.

Golden Stags head coach Egay Macaraya, who played for San Sebastian for two years in the 1980s, said fatigue crept in to his players and luckily for them they held on to their precious lead.

“Fatigue, I guess, kasi hindi na rin nag step up yung mga second stringer ko, and ewan ko baka opening game jitters na rin,” said Macaraya. “Good thing is we won so maganda pa rin sa amin.”

Ironically, Macaraya’s supporting cast had a better scoring output than his starting five with 33 points but it was his first unit which played better defensively.

San Sebastian held Benilde to 38 percent shooting but the Stags had a worse shooting performance with 31 percent.

It was in the rebounding column where the Golden Stags had 47-40 advantage, 20 of those rebounds came off in the offensive end, which they then turned to eight second-chance points.

Macaraya had a minor scare in the final moments of the game when Jerick Fabian tweaked his ankle after stepping on Blazers big man Pons Saavedra in a rebounding scrap.

Fabian, though, would shrug off the pain after the game as he finished with 12 points to lead San Sebastian.

JJ Domingo had 10 points for Benilde.

The scores:

SAN SEBASTIAN – Fabian 12, Calisaan 8, Ilagan 8, Capobres 5, Valdez 5, Baetiong 4, Bulanadi 4, David 2, Costelo 2, Sera Jose 2, Gayosa 1, Johnson 1, Mercado 0, Quipse 0, Miguel 0.

ST. BENILDE – Domingo JJ 10, Saavedra 9, Fajarito 8, Young 8, Haruna 6, Leutcheu 3, Dixon 2, Pasamante 1, San Juan 1, Belgica 1, Castor 0, Sta. Maria 0, Pajarillaga 0, Doming JS 0, Pili 0.

Quarterscores: 17-13, 31-19, 42-30, 54-49.