The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Blazers recovered with a late-game comeback against the San Sebastian College-Recoletos (SSC-R) Golden Stags, 73-66, today, Oct. 5 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
The opening quarter kicked off with a swift 0-6 run by the Golden Stags as they eyed their first win of the season against the Group A top-seed Blazers. Josh Cajucom and Jhommel Ancheta steadily tried to build Benilde’s momentum, but San Sebastian forged an 8-point cushion at the 6-minute mark. Cajucom, Ian Torres, and SJ Moore sought to cut the lead, but Ralph Gabat helmed the Stags’ offense, ending the quarter at 13-20.
In the second canto, Ancheta, Ian Torres, and Jesseray Arciaga opened with a strong push to narrow the gap, but Caesleyh Bacani retaliated to sustain San Sebastian’s momentum. Despite the Taft squad’s efforts to close the gap, Christian Ricio fired a triple to establish a 9-point advantage at the end of the first half, 29-38.
In the third frame, the men in green and white were steadfast on turning the tables around— spearheaded by the offensive pace of Ancheta, Cajucom, and Zenric Jarque. The quarter was a neck-and-neck battle with multiple deadlocks as both squads attempted to inch away from each other. Benilde’s Justine Sanchez sank two shots at the free throw line to enter the fourth with a one-possession deficit, 51-54.
The decider saw the Blazers claw their way back in the game. However, Ralph Gabat and the Golden Stags refused to budge away for their first victory. Torres, Ancheta, and Sanchez eventually mounted an endgame surge that gave Benilde momentum, allowing Cajucom’s split free throw outing to seal the comeback with a final score of 73-66.
Player of the Game Josh Cajucom led the Blazers’ rally with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals.
The Blazers strive to remain on top of Group A’s standings in their next match against the Arellano University (AU) Chiefs on Oct. 9 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City, with a live telecast on One Sports on YouTube, PilipinasLIVE on CignalPlay and NCAA NXT on Cignal TV.
Box Scores:
DLS-CSB (73): Cajucom 20, Ancheta 14, Sanchez 12, Torres 10, Morales 7, Jarque 4, Moore 2, Arciaga 2, Lorenzo 2, Baliquig 0, Daja 0
SSC-R (66): Ricio 15, Bacani 13, Gabat 12, Alforque 9, Velasco 5, Castor 5, Muktimar 3, Ynot 2, Cuya 2, Barroga 0, Kitane 0
