Heavy Bombers escape Blazers for second win

Grit carried Jose Rizal University through a furious College of St. Benilde comeback to carve out a 73-69 win in Group A of the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament at San Juan Arena on Tuesday.

The Heavy Bombers led by as much as 16 points before the Blazers unloaded a furious fourth quarter comeback.

Fortunately for coach Nani Epondulan, the Heavy Bombers kept their composure in the clutch for a 2-0 record.

“Lagi namang inaaadvice sa amin na mag-stick together lang kami sa sistemang tinatakbo namin,” Chris Hubilla said.

“‘Wag [lang] kami bibitaw kasi no’ng mga talo namin [sa offseason], sa fourth quarter kami nawawala. Nag-stick lang kami sa depensa at di kami bumitaw hanggang dulo.”

After trailing by 16 in the third quarter, 52-36, the Blazers got to within eight entering the payoff period, 58-50.

In crunch time, Benilde crept even closer to the Heavy Bombers, cutting the deficit to one after a Jhomel Ancheta triple at the 3:34 mark of the period.

Allen Laurenaria stopped the bleeding for JRU with two freebies but Justine Sanchez and Ancheta sank back-to-back buckets to put Benilde on top, 66-65, with 2:09 left in the game.

Hubilla sank two free throws on the other end before Laurence Mangubat’s big-time triple that seemingly put the Bombers up for good, 70-66, with 1:05 remaining.

Sanchez, who nearly had a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds, kept the Blazers alive with a three-ball with 45.8 ticks to go in regulation.

That, however, would be Benilde’s last gasp as turnovers in the clutch prevented them from getting any closer to JRU.

Mangubat was the high-point man for the Bombers with 20 points and nine boards while Hubilla helped the cause with 12 markers, seven rebounds and four blocks.

Ancheta and SJ Moore finished with 20 points a piece in the Blazers’ defeat that sent them to a 2-1 record.