COLLEGE of St. Benilde got past Emilio Aguinaldo College 69-65 yesterday to assure itself of at least a playoff for a Final Four slot in the 100th NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.
With their Last Four bid within reach, the Blazers remained on top with an 11-2 record, thanks to big man Allen Liwag who dopped 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists and a block against his former school.
Tony Ynot, who returned after missing three matches due to an ankle injury, also added 14 markers, four dimes, four boards. Ian Torres and Gab Cometa scored nine and seven points, respectively for the Blazers.
“Credit to my staff. I was out for three days, and they really prepared well for EAC. We struggled against their zone a bit, but we found ways in the end to adjust and found a way to win,” CSB coach Charles Tiu said.
“For us, it’s about getting better every game. It doesn’t matter who we play. Our goal is always eventually to make into the Final Four and hopefully in the finals and compete for the championship. I still think we’re far from that,” he added.
The Generals fell to 6-7.
In the second game, San Sebastian College scored an 88-75 triumph over Arellano University to rediscover its winning ways.
Tristan Felebrico led the charge for the Golden Stags with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Nikko Aguilar added 16 markers. Reggz Gabat finished with 12 and nine for San Sebastian, which improved to 4-10 while the Chiefs slipped to 5-9.
