TIME and again, San Beda had Benilde down for the count on Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.
But time and again, the Blazers just licked their wounds, got right back up, and kept coming hard.
Down two with 69 seconds left, Benilde stiffened up on defense before Ian Torres came to the rescue in the dying seconds for a 77-75 decision over the Red Lions that sets up a do-or-die game between the two teams for a finals berth in NCAA Season 101.
The last four minutes of the semis showdown wound up as one of the most - if not the most - thrilling of the season, as San Beda lost hold of a lead as big as nine in the second quarter.
Still, the Red Lions looked like they were on their way to sweeping the series, as back-to-back baskets from Bryan Sajonia put them on top, 71-68, with 3:36 remaining.
It was at that point, though, that Torres came alive and hit a layup then a triple to tie the tally inside the last two minutes.
Sajonia countered with a jumper to send the red-and-white back ahead by two, but that would prove to be their final make, as the Blazers turned up the pressure cooker.
Nonetheless, San Beda put the ball in Nygel Gonzales' hands with 29 ticks to go, but Torres and the rest of the green-and-white forced him to a tough layup before the Benilde guard put up a floater from the free throw line with 0.9 left on the clock.
The ball hit the front of the rim before bouncing right inside the nets to seal the deal in the Blazers' gutsy win in this must-win game.
Torres comes up clutch
In the end, Torres had 17 points to his name, seven coming in the last three and half minutes, as Tony Ynot top-scored with 19 markers on top of seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Justine Sanchez also added a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Allen Liwag chimed in nine markers and 15 boards to help Benilde bounce back from being dominated in the series opener.
Of course, it didn't help the Red Lions that MVP contender Janti Miller was out due to a knee contusion. In his stead, Gonzales paced the effort with 17 points to go with six rebounds, while Sajonia and Jomel Puno chipped in 16 and 14 markers, respectively.
The two teams will fight for the right to advance to the finals on Sunday at Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
BENILDE 77 – Ynot 19, Torres 17, Sanchez 14, Liwag 9, Umali 7, Ancheta 6, Celis 5, Gaspay 0, Cajucom 0, Morales 0, Cometa 0, Oli 0, Galas 0
SAN BEDA 75 – Gonzales 17, Sajonia 16, Puno 14, Estacio 7, Celzo 6, Lina 4, Reyes 4, Andrada 3, Calimag 2, Etulle 2, Bonzalida 0
Quarters: 23-24, 36-42, 60-58, 77-75
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