BY MILES ARCENAL
FOR much of the first half between the battle of top teams in Group B, St. Benilde looked flat.
San Beda dictated the pace, built a commanding 18-point lead, and seemed well on its way to another statement win in the NCAA Season 101.
But when the Blazers finally found their rhythm, the game suddenly turned into a dogfight.
READ: San Beda repeats over Benilde to keep Group B supremacy in S101
Benilde unleashed a spirited fourth-quarter rally, trimming the deficit to just two points and putting themselves in a position to steal the game before a pair of missed rebounds proved costly in an eventual 80-76 loss.
“We had a chance to win it if we just could rebound,” head coach Charles Tiu said after the game.
“We missed two crucial rebounds and that was the game for us.”
Still, the fight his players showed after a rough start gave Tiu something to hold on to.
“The only silver lining is in the fourth - despite being down 18, we brought it down to two points. We had a chance to win it. That’s the fight I want to see from them."
Even without star big man Allen Liwag - who’s sidelined with a shoulder injury Benilde fought toe-to-toe against the Red Lions.
It was a tough pill to swallow for the Taft squad that battled hard but came up just short with Shawn Umali gave everything he had, battling foul trouble and fatigue, while Tony Ynot continued to carry the offensive load.
Still, Tiu knows that moral victories won’t count for much with the playoff picture tightening by the day.
“Right now, we’re tied with pretty much everybody, so the margin for error is small,” he admitted. “We just gotta find a way to win.”
The Blazers’ 80-76 loss served as both a warning and a reminder that in this year’s unpredictable ‘Group of Death,’ every possession matters.
And with three games left against EAC, Letran, and JRU, Benilde can’t afford another slow start.
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