The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers extended their win streak to four in NCAA Season 99 after cruising past the Arellano University (AU) Chiefs, 74-56, on Nov. 4, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

The first quarter saw both squads performing steadily. On the Blazers’ side, Jesse Arciaga was given early minutes and played effectively on both ends as he was locking down Chiefs’ bigs and tallying layups. The Blazers closed the quarter leading by one, 17-16.

The start of the second quarter was a carryover, as nobody was pulling away for a huge lead. That mundane exchange, however, will change halfway through the period, with the lineup of Prince Carlos, Miguel Oczon, Mark Sangco, Miguel Corteza, and Will Gozum making life difficult for Arellano, altering their chemistry and excellent ball movement. The Chiefs had no answers, as the 12 points by the Taft squad to end the quarter helped them with a 40-28 leverage heading to halftime.

Both teams in the third quarter displayed a seesaw battle. Despite the Chiefs winning the period by four points, the Blazers still hold the lead going into the fourth quarter, 56-48.

The final 12 minutes saw the Blazers turn up their defense as they held the Chiefs to only eight points. Even though Jeadan Ongotan was trying to push the Chiefs to grab the momentum, the Blazers kept their cool and played fluidly. Robi Nayve and Corteza took charge in the quarter as they lengthened their lead all the way to 18, with the final score 74-56.

The Blazers’ pesky defense, along with their eight blocks, held the Chiefs to only 29% field goal shooting. Gozum, Oczon, and Corteza scored 17, 11, and 11 respectively to lead their team in points. An all-around performance from Sangco gave the Chiefs a headache, helping him tally a game-high +23 efficiency. 

Catch the Blazers go head-to-head with the JRU Heavy Bombers as they try to sort out their final four aspirations on Nov. 7. The game will be available to watch live on NCAA Philippines’ Facebook and YouTube pages.

Box Scores:

DLS-CSB (74) - Gozum 17, Oczon 11, Corteza 11, Sangco 8, Carlos 6, Arciaga 5, Nayve 4, Cajucom 4, Mara 4, Jarque 2, Turco 2, Marcos 0, Jalalon 0, Morales 0

AU (56) - Capulong 18, Mallari 11, Valencia 9, Ongotan 8, Yanes 6, Talampas 2, Geronimo 2, Villarente 0, Dayrit 0, Abastillas 0, Dela Cruz 0, Lustina 0, Camay 0, Rosalin 0