The College of St. Benilde Blazers unveiled a sharper look—sporting clean-shaven haircuts—and backed it up with an even sharper performance on the court, overpowering the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 74-63, in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.
Justin Sanchez led the charge with 16 points as the Blazers shook off the sting of their opening-day loss to the San Beda Red Lions and notched their first victory in Group A.
“We lost to San Beda because we didn’t play well at all. I kept telling them we had to play our A-Game, which we didn’t,” said head coach Charles Tiu, who was visibly more satisfied after his squad’s bounce-back performance.
Reigning MVP Allen Liwag provided strong support with 14 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks, while Raffy Celis also played a key role in their second-half surge.
The Blazers seized control in the third quarter behind Liwag and Celis, who anchored a pivotal 9-2 run that stretched their lead to 48-38 and kept EAC playing catch-up the rest of the way.
The Generals tried to rally behind Jude Bagay’s 15 points and Wilmar Oftana’s 10, but their efforts fell short against CSB’s balanced attack and disciplined defense.
With the win, the Blazers not only entered the win column but also showed flashes of the contender form that carried them deep last season.
