BENILDE stretched its streak to four in the Filoil EcoOil 17th ECJ Preseason Cup after routing Arellano, 72-58, Friday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Matthew Oli took charge with 15 points and two assists, while Allen Liwag contributed 10 markers and six rebounds, as the Blazers erased the Chiefs’ 3-0 start with 22 unanswered points and never looked back.
“I feel like I just played my role… I feel like we just stick together, work together, and day-by-day, we’ll get better for sure,” said Oli, a Filipino-American forward who will be eligible for two years starting NCAA Season 100.
Red-hot Benilde, which has most definitely moved forward from its loss in the opener, led by as much as 22 before claiming the top spot in the NCAA bracket.
On the other hand, ascendant Arellano fell to a 3-3 standing despite EJ Geronimo and Mark Vinoya’s 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Breathing down top team's neck
Sitting at solo second is Letran which warded off San Sebastian’s fourth quarter fightback for an 81-79 decision.
Edzel Galoy shined bright for the second straight game with 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, as James Jumao-as fired 15 markers of his own in the Knights’ rampage to a fifth consecutive victory after a 0-2 start to the preseason.
The Golden Stags gave them a good scare, however, as Tristan Felebrico’s triple trimmed their once-16-point advantage to just one, 79-80, with nine ticks to go. Letran’s Justin Nunag was then sent to the stripe where he made the first and missed the second before teammate Jonathan Manalili collared the offensive rebound.
The prized rookie muffed on both charities, but Nunag yet again claimed the board to finalize the Knights’ escape.
On level ground at fifth
Mapua and Perpetual are then tied for fifth - behind idle 4-2 EAC and San Beda - with similar 4-3 records following separate gritty wins.
The Cardinals powered through JRU after a back-and-forth affair in overtime, 93-89, on the back of NCAA Season 99 MVP Clint Escamis’ 16 points.
Six other teammates in MC Cuenco (14), JC Recto (13), Yam Concepcion (12 markers, 11 rebounds), Chris Hubilla (12), John Jabonete (11), and Lawrence Mangubat (10) joined him in double-digits.
The Altas, for their part, came from behind to sink LPU, 76-72.
Down by five after three quarters, Perpetual rallied around a scary injury to rookie Mark Gojo Cruz to put on a 27-18 final frame. JP Boral paced them with 17 markers on top of eight rebounds and two blocks.
John Barba’s 23-point, 7-rebound, and 5-assist effort for the Pirates went to waste as they fell to 1-4, the same slate as the Heavy Bombers who leaned on Mart Barrera (19 markers, five boards, three dimes).
The Scores:
FIRST GAME
MAPUA 93 — Escamis 15, Cuenco 14, Recto 13, Hubilla 12, Concepcion 12, Jabonete 11, Mangubat 10, Bancale 4, Abdulla 2, Agemenyi 0, Fermin 0, Pantaleon 0, Fornis 0
JRU 89 — Barrera 19, Garcia 14, De Jesus 12, Lozano 11, Sarmiento 10, Samontanes 5, De Leon 4, Argente 4, Bernardo 4, Panapanaan 4, Ferrer 2, Esguerra 0
QUARTERS: 20-15, 42-37, 61-58, 83-83, 93-89 (OT)
SECOND GAME
BENILDE 72 — Oli 15, Liwag 10, Serrano 9, Cometa 8, Cajucom 8, Ynot 7, Sangco 5, Galas 3, Ondoa 3, Jalalon 2, Torres 2, Morales 0, Turco 0, Eusebio 0, Carillo 0
ARELLANO 58 — Geronimo 12, Vinoya 11, Borromeo 9, Valencia 5, Abiera 5, Hernal 5, Capulong 4, Dayrit 4, Miller 3, Rosalin 0, Camay 0, Acop 0, Dela Cruz 0, Libang 0, Espiritu 0
QUARTERS: 25-15, 48-30, 59-45, 72-58
THIRD GAME
PERPETUAL 76 — Boral 17, Pagaran 13, Sevilla 9, Gojo Cruz 9, Pizarro 8, Gelsano 6, Nuñez 4, Movida 3, Valencia 3, Ayon 2, Montemayor 2, Orgo 0, Manuel 0, thompson 0, Cauguiran 0, Manuel 0
LPU 72 — Barba 23, Guadaña 16, Montaño 13, Peñafiel 9, Aviles 4, Fuentes 3, Cunanan 2, Villegas 2, Versoza 0, Paulo 0, Lopez 0, Pallingayan 0 Caduyac 0, Moralejo 0, Reyes 0
QUARTERS: 17-27, 33-37, 49-54-76-72
FOURTH GAME
LETRAN 81 — Jumao-As 15, Galoy 15, Dimaano 13, Go 8, Nunag 8, Garupil 6, Pradela 6, Manalili 6, Alarcon 4, Tangkay 0, Montecillo 0, Bojorcelo 0, Brillantes 0, Baliling 0
SAN SEBASTIAN 79 — Felebrico 15, Gabat 14, Aguilar 13, Escobido 12, Gabat 8, Lintol 6, Valiña 3, Ronquillo 2, Maliwat 2, Pascual 2, Masiglat 2, Ricio 0, Barroga 0, Ramilo 0, Tuadles 0
QUARTERS: 21-20, 48-35, 63-49, 81-79
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