Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 5) – The College of St. Benilde Blazers cruised to their third straight win in NCAA Season 97 after routing the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 78-68, on Tuesday at the La Salle Greenhills Gym.
Will Gozum delivered another double-double performance of 18 points and 10 rebounds to help the Blazers occupy solo fourth in the team standings with a 3-1 slate.
The Blazers also leaned on top scorer Robi Navye, who also notched 18 points in the contest.
After a close first half between the two squads, CSB made adjustments in the third quarter by grabbing more offensive rebounds for additional shot opportunities and toughening up their defense against EAC to break away with a 10-point lead.
The Blazers’ lead swelled to 12 points for numerous times in the payoff period as the Generals struggled to convert their shots for a possible comeback in the last minutes.
EAC’s injury woes piled up late in the game as top scorer Ralph Robin – who scored a game-high 21 points – fell down in a running play and hurt his ankle. The Generals also missed their top scorer Kriss Gurtiza, who suffered a knee injury in their previous outing.
Blazers head coach Charles Tiu praised the composure of his players in maintaining their wide margin as they seek to move away from their previous league reputation of losing games down the line.
“They didn’t back down. It looked like we’re ready to break the game open, but they kept fighting. The guys made some good plays down the stretch and we’re able to escape with a win,” Tiu said in the post-game interview.
Both teams return to court on Saturday with Benilde facing the Perpetual Altas in the first game at noon, and EAC seeking to bounce back against Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers in the main offering at 3 p.m.
The Scores:
BENILDE 78 – Nayve 18, Gozum 18, Marcos 10, Carlos 10, Corteza 6, Publico 6, Benson 6, Sangco 2, Mosqueda 2, Cullar 0, Lim 0, Lepalam 0, Flores 0
EAC 68 – Robin 21, Luciano 13, Liwag 10, Doria Ad. 8, Maguliano 6, Taywan 3, Cosejo 3, Cadua 2, Bunyi 2, Cosa 0, Quinal 0
Quarterscores: 21-14, 38-36, 58-48, 78-68
