JRU bench comes up big as Bombers extinguish Blazers

MANILA, Philippines—Jose Rizal U drew big games from bench players Nate Matute and Jeckster Apinan as the Bombers turned back the St. Benilde Blazers, 73-55, Friday to stay in the fight for a semifinal bonus in the 86th NCAA basketball tournament at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.   The Bombers ripped the game wide open late in the first half and never looked back as Matute and Apinan combined for 21 points in the second half to lead JRU to a 10th win in 13 games.   A revelation in the second round of the season, Matute broke the St. Benilde zone with 15 of his 17 points coming from beyond the arc, to match Apinan’s scoring output.   “We’re not thinking about the twice-to-beat incentive,” said JRU coach Vergel Meneses, whose squad snapped St. Benilde’s two-game streak and put the Blazers on the brink of elimination.   “Our concern now is that we enter the Final Four with confidence and we can get that by winning our remaining games.”   Isiah Ciriacruz scored 19 points as Arellano kept its slim hopes of reaching the Final Four alive with a 71-60 trouncing of Emilio Aguinaldo College in the second game.   With the win, the Chiefs moved up to sixth with a 5-8 record, but their chances of advancing to the Final Four, like that of St. Benilde and Letran, will depend on the result of Mapua’s last four games.   “Our rule in the team now is that we don’t want to lose to a team below us in the standings,” said Arellano coach Leo Isaac.   The Cardinals, a team Isaac coached two seasons ago, have the inside track in the last Final Four berth with a 7-5 record.     The Blazers kept the game tight in the second quarter, even tying the game at 24 on Carlo Lastimosa’s basket.   But the Bombers closed the half with a 13-0 blitz anchored by Raycon Kabigting who scored six of his 11 points in the run.   JR Bulangis added 14 points for the Bombers, who stayed in third behind San Beda (12-0) and San Sebastian (11-1).   Earlier, Youth Olympic Games campaigner Michael Pate fired 29 points to lead La Salle-Greenhills past Jose Rizal, 90-72, while Emilio Aguinaldo College downed Arellano U, 67-60, in juniors’ play. Photo by Mark Giongco   The senior scores: 
First Game 
JRU 73—Matute 17, Apinan 17, Bulangis 14, Kabigting 11, Lopez 6, Montemayor 2, Hayes 1, Etame 0, Duncil 0, Almario 0
ST. BENILDE 55—Lastimosa 18, de Guzman 10, McCoy 8, Nayve 6, Sinco 4, Tan 4, Wong 2, Argamino 2, Manalac 1, Abolucion 0, Amin 0
Quarters: 14-12, 37-24, 56-39, 73-55
Second Game
ARELLANO 71—Ciriacruz 19, Lapuz 16, Celada 15, Zulueta 10, Tayongtong 7, Acidre 4, Del Rosario 0, Virtudazo 0. 
EAC 60—Vargas 13, Cubo 11, Tuazon 8, Mendoza 7, L. Yaya 7, Jamon 6, Chiong 5, Sanchez 2, R. Yaya 1, Lapitan 0, Villegas 0, Diolanto 0. 
Quarters: 23-19, 44-38, 57-46, 71-60