Allen Liwag (photo above, with ball) forces his way to the basket. —NCAA PHOTO
Allen Liwag rammed into two defenders and banked in a shot before flexing his biceps as if to double down on his authority down low.
The dominating College of St. Benilde center proved too much for his former team in leading the Blazers to another win, 69-65, over Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) on Sunday at the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament.
“They defended with a zone when I’m inside and went man-to-man whenever I’m far from the ring. I knew I would have limited touches, so I patiently worked to accomplish my job,” said Liwag in Filipino after compiling 15 points and nine rebounds around the rim.
But more importantly, Liwag’s heroics put the Blazers a win within a guaranteed Final Four spot.
Notching win No. 11 after 13 games, the tournament leaders comforted themselves with a sure playoff for the fourth slot in the semifinals.
The returning Tony Ynot, missing their past three games, contributed 14 points and Ian Torres added nine, enough numbers to aid the efforts of Liwag in beating multiple defenders thrown at him in every possession.
In the other game, the San Sebastian Stags turned back the Arellano Chiefs, 88-75, after wiping out a 15-point deficit in the second half.
The Stags chalked up their fourth win in 14 games while frustrating the Chiefs, who dropped to 5-9 and saw their two-game streak come to an end.
The EAC Generals actually came close to yanking the rug from under the tournament-leading Blazers. They were in control in the first half and led 61-59 on Gelo Loristo’s jumper before the Blazers came charging back.
Ynot’s three put the Blazers back on top and a nifty feed by Gab Cometa on Liwag inside produced a three-point play that created more separation.
Nico Quinal nailed a triple as the Generals stitched the gap, but the EAC sniper lost the leather in a crucial possession with six seconds remaining, dashing their hopes for an upset.
Cometa’s free throw and King Gurtiza’s off-target desperation shot on the other end sealed the Generals’ seventh defeat in 13 games as they shared the fifth spot with the Lyceum Pirates.
“I was super motivated to play against my former teammates. They’ve improved so much and I’m proud of them,” said Liwag.
Harvey Pagsanjan had 16 points and Quinal added 12 but Gurtiza wound up way below his average output with 10 points for the Generals, who are seeking a historic semifinal appearance in their finest season yet. INQ