San juan: College of Saint Benilde kept the No. 2 spot in Group B after pulling off an 80-74 victory over Letran in the NCAA Season 101 men's basketball tournament at the San Juan Arena on Friday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Ian Torres finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Justine Sanchez contributed 14 points and eight rebounds as the Blazers improved to 7-4, behind San Beda University (7-3). The Knights slid to third with a 6-5 record.
'I give them credit because they didn't back down. Letran is such a tough and physical team,' said coach Charles Tiu, who commended his reserves for stepping up in the absence of the reigning league MVP Allen Liwag, who has a shoulder injury. "Even though we were undermanned without Allen, they fought well, they defended well when it mattered the most."
John Mowell Morales had 13 points, while Tony Ynot and Jhomel Ancheta chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively, as CSB recovered from a 76-80 loss to San Beda. Jonathan Moses delivered 16 points, five assists, five steals, and two rebounds for Letran, which led 50-48 at halftime.
