Blazers keep Group A lead; Bombers close behind
College of St. Benilde’s Justine Sanchez muscles his way for the bucket against Arellano during a game in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament. -NCAA Photo
Jose Rizal University put everyone on notice when it scored a victory in the first game of the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament doubleheader on Friday.
The Bombers won their fifth game in six outings and were just waiting on the sidelines to officially lay claim to the No. 1 spot in Group A.
St. Benilde, however, had other ideas.
The Blazers whipped Arellano, 94-82, at Philsports Arena to notch their fourth straight win and stay ahead of the pack with a 6-1 record as Justine Sanchez led the way with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
“We just stayed composed. We helped each other because we all knew in ourselves that we can do this,” Sanchez said in Filipino.
“I just talked to the boys and gathered them up; I told them to stay together.”
Jhomel Ancheta had 18 points for St. Benilde while SJ Moore and Zenric Jarque had 12 each.
Basti Valencia scored 17 in Arellano’s third straight defeat. T-Mc Ongotan and King Vinoya also chipped in 14 and 12 markers, respectively, as the Chiefs tripped to a 4-3 record.
The Bombers matched the Blazers’ record earlier in the day when they defeated lowly San Sebastian, 102-78, and could have wrested Group A’s lead with an Arellano win.
And they were determined to give themselves a chance.
From a slim 56-51 lead, the Heavy Bombers stretched their lead to 72-56 with 3:44 left in the third after a triple from Chris Hubilla.
JRU carried a 75-63 lead into the fourth quarter and kept the Stags winless in seven games.
“We started flat. We didn’t see the effort and energy that we expected from them so I addressed it in the dugout,” coach Nani Epondulan said in Filipino. “Credit to the players who responded to our challenge.”
Lawrence Mangubat continued his hot streak for JRU with 20 points while Hubilla added a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Niel Castor led San Sebastian with 17 points.
