Controversial player John Amores has personally apologized to the College of Saint Benilde Blazers, who defeated the Arellano University Chiefs, 83-73, on Sunday in the 9th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament at the FilOil-EcoOil Arena.
Amores visited the team’s practice on Saturday and personally asked for forgiveness from CSB players Mark Sangco, Taine Davis, Jimboy Pasturan, Miguel Oczon and the rest of the Blazers.
The peace offering from Amores came 11 days after he went berserk during a CSB-JRU game and punched four players, bringing down two in Pasturan and Davis.
Coach Charles Tiu gave Amores permission to visit the scrimmages following a call from the embattled JRU cager.
On Sunday, an upbeat Blazers saw Robi Nayve hitting a game-high 17 points as St. Benilde won a third straight match to improve to 13-4 and a share of the lead with Letran.
The win put the Blazers in contention for the top seeding in the Final Four and they can earn it if they beat the Knights in their coming encounter on Tuesday.
Cade Flores had 17 points for Arellano U, which dropped to 7-10.
Tiu said the team appreciated and respected Amores’ move to personally apologize to the CSB players and not through social media.
Amores is currently suspended indefinitely by the league and has been removed from the JRU athletics program. He also has two court cases of assault, filed against him by Pasturan and Davis in San Juan.
Meanwhile, Jessie Sumoda sank only six points, but won the game for the San Sebastian Stags, who escaped with a 62-59 beating of the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals.
Sumoda’s rebound and followup shot off teammate Ameer Aguilar’s miss in the last 1:40 handed the Stags a 61-57 cushion.
After Art Cosejo converted a layup in the last six seconds, while Sumoda split his charity shots in the three-second mark to hand the Stags a five-point cushion in the remaining time.
With still a game to go in their schedule, the Stags are looking forward to a fifth-place finish this season with their 8-9 win-loss card.
Ichie Altamirano banged in a game-high 18 points and pulled in seven rebounds for the Stags, who picked up their second straight victory.
Nat Cosejo shot 15 points for EAC, which fell to 2-15 with a game left in its calendar.