The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers fended off the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (UPHSD) Altas in an extension, 81-79, today, Oct. 1 at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The opening stretch of the match lacked early momentum as both teams searched for their rhythm. Perpetual’s Leobert Casinillo knocked down two free throws to put up the first points on the board, but Zenric Jarque answered with a drive to the basket, knotting the score at 2-2 after nearly 2 minutes into the game. Meanwhile, Mark Gojo Cruz, Kenji Duremdes, Aries Borja, orchestrated the Altas’ offense to slowly inch away from the Blazers. Josh Cajucom and SJ Moore quickly responded with back-to-back deuces to fuel their offense. In the final 15 seconds, team captain Justine Sanchez scored a layup to take a slim advantage and closed out the quarter at 13-12.
In the second canto, Juan Tulabut quickly tallied a triple and a jump shot to pull ahead. Sanchez then caught fire from beyond the arc, sinking five shots to keep the Taft squad within striking distance. Jhommel Ancheta drew a foul in the final seconds and converted two shots from the line, ending the half at 35-36.
At the start of the second half, both teams continued to trade baskets to build a cushion against each other. Gojo Cruz, Casinillo, and Shawn Orgo led the Altas’ charge, while Jarque and Cajucom powered the men in green and white’s offensive pace. John Morales scored a last-second layup that trimmed the lead to 4, heading into the fourth at 58-62.
The fourth quarter turned into a back-and-forth affair with both squads battling for control of the contest. Perpetual was able to build a steady lead, but Benilde erased a late deficit behind Sanchez and Ancheta. In a dramatic sequence with four seconds left, Casinillo scored a layup to give the Altas a two-point advantage. However, Ancheta drew a foul and sank three out of three decisive free throws that tied the game at 74-all, forcing an extension.
The decider was a showdown of composure with Gojo Cruz spearheading the Altas’ offense, but the Blazers responded once again with Ancheta and Sanchez burying crucial shots from the charity stripe. Sanchez ultimately sealed the game with a three-pointer to escape with an 81-79 victory.
Sanchez emerged as the Player of the Game posting a career-high of 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.
The Blazers aim to extend their winning streak as they are set to face the San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R) Golden Stags on Oct. 5 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City, with a live telecast on One Sports on YouTube, PilipinasLIVE on CignalPlay and NCAA NXT on Cignal TV.
Box Scores:
DLS-CSB (81) - Sanchez 27, Ancheta 17, Jarque 9, Moore 9, Morales 7, Cajucom 5, Torres 3, Podador 2, Go 2, Lorenzo 0, Arciaga 0
UPHSD (79) - Gojo Cruz 15, Casinillo 12, Duremdes 11, Gelsano 9, Tulabut 9, Orgo 7, Corpuz 6, Maglupay 6, Borja 4, Roluna 0`
