COLLEGE of St. Benilde destroyed now-dethroned champion San Beda, 79-63, to arrange a showdown against Mapua for the men's basketball championship of NCAA Season 100.
The Blazers made known their intentions from the get-go inside the Cuneta Astrodome and raced to 26-point advantage halfway through their Final Four encounter on Saturday with the Red Lions.
Second-seeded Benilde coasted to victory from there and took the finals berth opposite the Cardinals - who, hours earlier, also dispatched of Lyceum in their own semifinals pairing.
This marks the first time in two decades that either NCAA powerhouses San Beda and Letran will be in the finals or since University of Perpetual Help and Philippine Christian University tangled for the 2004 season championship.
READ: Mapua makes way back to finals after mowing down Lyceum
The Blazers are in the finals for the second time in three seasons, after losing to Letran in the title series in Season 98.
They have much to thank MVP frontrunner Allen Liwag for that, as he joined forces with former Bedans Tony Ynot and Justine Sanchez to make sure they had no need for the twice-to-beat advantage they hold.
Benilde and Mapua begin their best-of-three finals face-off on Dec. 1 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Blazers coach Charles Tiu said, of course, it's going to be one hell of a title series pitting the top two seeded teams in the league.
"We expected Mapua to win out because they were consistently the best team in the league. So it's going to be a tough fight for us," he said.
Liwag flexed his muscles underneath anew, as San Beda played minus Jomel Puno, hitting 13 of his game-high 20 points in the opening half.
Ynot and Sanchez added 17 and 11, as they kept out their former team from repeating as champion.
AJ Royo top-scored for the former kings with 14 points, as Penny Estacio was the only other Red Lion in double-figures with 10.
The Scores:
BENILDE 79 – Liwag 20, Ynot 17, Ancheta 11, Sanchez 9, Cometa 5, Turco 4, Sangco 3, Oli 3, Eusebio 3, Torres 2, Ondoa 2, Cajucom 0, Morales 0, Serrano 0, Jarque 0
SAN BEDA 63 – Royo 14, Estacio 10, Andrada 7, Sajonia 6, RC Calimag 6, Bonzalida 5, Lina 4, Payosing 4, Tagle 3, Gonzales 2, Songcuya 2, Celzo 0, Tagala 0, Jalbuena 0, Richi Calimag 0
Quarters: 25-14; 53-27; 70-42; 79-63.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
