The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers finished their NCAA 3x3 Basketball campaign with a 3-1 record, missing the semifinals on March 28 and 29, at the Jose Rizal (JRU) Gymnasium in Mandaluyong City.
In their opening game, Bonn Daja caught fire from beyond the arc, setting the tone early for the Taft squad and creating space and rhythm for Benilde’s offense to secure a 21–17 victory against the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) Pirates. Facing Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) Generals next, the Blazers were determined to keep their winning ways alive, knocking down shots from beyond the arc and alley-oops to Allen Liwag. Benilde capped off a 2-0 start with a final score of 21-18, solidifying their campaign.
On the second day, the Blazers sustained their momentum, cruising past the Colegio de San Juan de Letran (CSJL) Knights with a 22-10 win. In their succeeding outing, however, the Taft squad stumbled out of the gate as the San Beda University (SBU) Red Lions mounted an early run. Raffy Celis and Liwag tried to rally the Blazers with a series of point-blank finishes, keeping the deficit within reach, but the men in green and white fell short, 10-19.
In an exclusive interview with The Benildean, Head Coach Paolo Layug shared how the Blazers prepared for the tournament, “The guys are trying to follow the system as much as possible. I think we could have done better. [...] We had some tune-up games and mini tournaments and they played against some really good teams. So I think that helped prepare us and helped us get in shape. I think the game was too close. We still had a lot of lapses.”
Moreover, he said that playing against the national team of Turkmenistan and some pro teams really prepared the players for the fast-paced competition in 3x3 basketball.
Liwag also shared, “Siguro ‘yung mga araw na pinaghirapan namin, na pinag practice-an [at] pinag prepare-an para sa tournament na ‘to, ‘yun yung motivation namin nung last game,” when asked about the team’s motivation to succeed in the tournament. He acknowledged that their loss in the previous match stemmed from failing to execute their system, which ultimately affected their tournament outcome.
The Benilde Blazers fell short of a podium finish, as a crucial loss in their final outing knocked them out of semifinal contention.
