On the final day of the NCAA Season 101 Men’s basketball quarterfinals on November 28 at FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan City, both the College of Saint Benilde and Colegio de San Juan de Letrán got the last two tickets for the Final Four bracket.
Coaching Style of CSB Head Coach Charles Tiu Proved Effective
After losing in their first quarterfinals match last November 26, Head Coach of the CSB Blazers Head Coach Charles Tiu called out the “manhood” of his players as they failed to eliminate the reigning defending champions, Mapúa University.
Coach Charles said in the media that his players were “cowardly” playing against the Cardinals, or in Filipino, “duwag”.
Benilde came out sharp and set the early tone, sparked by Raffy Celis, who poured in 13 points in the first half. His early scoring burst helped turn an initial deficit into a 26-17 advantage, and from there the Blazers controlled the pace. The second quarter turned into a defensive grind on both ends, but Benilde eventually found its groove and stretched the gap to as large as 47-29 after a blistering 11-0 run highlighted by consecutive three-pointers from Tony Ynot.
A pair of late free throws from Earl Sapasap cut into the margin, but Benilde still carried a 47-31 lead entering halftime.
Mapua responded forcefully after the break. The Cardinals’ offense finally clicked as JC Recto and Cyrus Cuenco led a third-quarter surge that produced more field goals than they had in the entire first half.
The rally trimmed the deficit to just 60-53 heading into the final period, keeping the champions within striking distance. But early in the fourth, the Cardinals suffered a major setback when former MVP Clint Escamis committed a disqualifying foul on Ynot at the 9:05 mark, an infamous way of ending his NCAA career.
Despite losing Escamis, Mapua mounted another charge. The Cardinals stormed ahead with a 9-0 blitz that flipped the lead to 63-62 after Cuenco buried his second three-pointer with 5:51 left. Benilde immediately countered, composing itself behind a crucial seven-point stretch.
Ian Torres knocked down a key triple as the Blazers reclaimed a 69-63 cushion, steadying their position in the closing minutes.
The Cardinals, however, were not done. With under two minutes left and Benilde still ahead at 72-64, Mapua strung together another burst, the first was through a layup from Cyril Gonzales, then a timely three-pointer from Cuenco, which trimmed the lead down to 72-69.
Allen Liwag answered with a tough jumper at the 23-second mark for a 74-69 buffer, but Mapua struck again when Recto drilled a deep three with 15 seconds remaining.
Benilde then stumbled after Celis was whistled for traveling, giving Mapua possession and a chance to tie or win the match outright.
Off the inbound, Justine Sanchez sent Recto to the free-throw line, but the veteran forward missed both attempts.
Cyrus Nitura grabbed the offensive rebound but misfired on the follow-up, allowing the final buzzer to sound and sealing the Cardinals’ elimination.
FINAL SCORE: CSB BLAZERS 74 – 72 MAPUA CARDINALS
Celis led the Blazers overall with 18 points, along with contributions in rebounds, assists, and steals. Torres and Ynot backed him with 12 and 11 points, while Liwag chipped in nine and held his ground in the paint with nine rebounds.
For Mapua, Recto finished with 18 markers, Cuenco added 17, and Gonzales tallied 11. Escamis, in his final collegiate outing, managed only three points on 0-of-6 shooting before his ejection.
In the last two games of his NCAA career, Escamis went 0 of 16 from the field.
With the victory, Benilde moves on to face San Beda University in the best-of-three semifinals beginning December 2 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
3 Noble Knights of Jimboy Estrada, Titing Manalili, and Kevin Santos Lead Letrán in Semis
After extending their season winning against the Arellano University last November 26, Letrán has once again banked on the leadership of their 3 key players.
Jimboy Estrada, Jonathan “Titing” Manalili, and Kevin Santos led the charge for the navy blue and white against the Chiefs.
Arellano opened aggressively and built a 13-4 lead, but Letran settled in defensively and slowly erased the gap, eventually turning the tide in the second quarter. The Knights outscored the Chiefs 22-11 in that frame, converting a three-point deficit into a 39-31 advantage at halftime.
By the middle of the third period, Letran stretched the margin to 50-36, its largest lead of the game.
The Chiefs, however, refused to fade. Behind the efforts of T-Mc Ongotan and sharpshooter Anjord Cabotaje, Arellano trimmed the deficit multiple times. Cabotaje’s outside shooting helped the Chiefs pull within 64-62 with just over eight minutes remaining, giving them a real shot at extending their season. A few possessions later, they again crept close at 71-67 as pressure mounted on Letran.
But every push from Arellano was met with a timely response from the Knights. Jimboy Estrada halted the Chiefs’ momentum when he drilled a crucial three-pointer to widen the lead to 67-62.
Shortly after, the Knights strung together another surge, capped by an Aaron Buensalida layup off a Titing Manalili assist, to restore a double-digit gap, 77-67, with 1:27 left, which then effectively sealed the outcome.
FINAL SCORE: ARELLANO CHIEFS 69 – 77 LETRAN KNIGHTS
Estrada once again served as Letran’s stabilizer, producing 19 points along with five rebounds and three assists. Kevin Santos delivered on both ends with 15 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks, while Jun Roque added 11 markers.
Manalili, despite not scoring from the field, registered 12 assists, four rebounds, and three steals to orchestrate the offense.
Meanwhile, for Arellano, Ongotan showcased another strong outing with 23 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, and three assists. Cabotaje chimed in with a career-best 18 points, knocking down four triples, but both their efforts ultimately went for naught as the Chiefs’ postseason drought extended to nine seasons.
The Knights will now face the University of Perpetual Help Altas in a best-of-three semifinal series beginning December 2 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
This Final Four berth is Letran’s first under Ricardo, achieved in only his second season at the helm.
