Tony Ynot was dazzling from start to finish, steering De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde to a 75-65 win over its previous finals tormentor Mapua University on Tuesday in the NCAA Season 101 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The graduating guard fueled the Blazers’ hot 18-0 start in the first quarter before providing the finishing kick in the fourth quarter as they avenged their Season 100 finals loss to the Cardinals.
Ynot came through with his best offensive game thus far as he finished with a team-high 25 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the rainbow country while also securing eight rebounds, three assists, and one steal while Allen Liwag posted a double-double of 12 markers and 10 boards despite not playing the whole fourth quarter due to shoulder injury.
With Ynot finally getting his shots, the Blazers improved to 6-3 in Group B while the Cardinals sank to a 4-5 card in Group A.
"We had to take care of the ball. I thought we did well in the first half because we didn't throw the ball away, but in the third quarter we gave up 11 turnovers, which was mind-boggling," Benilde head coach Charles Tiu said.
"Some of our mistakes are just, I don't know, disappointing. But we defended well enough to win the game."
Benilde went on an early scoring spree by opening the game with an 18-0 run, 11 of which came from Ynot as the veteran guard fired three early three-pointers to set the tone for the Balzers.
But the Cardinals flaunted their championship poise in the second half with Clint Escamis and rookies Earl Sapasap and rookie Sebatian Reyes joining forces in a 14-5 rampage early in the third to cut the deficit to three, 50-53.
Cyril Gonzales then made back-to-back baskets to pull Mapua within one, 54-55. But Ynot stopped the bleeding for Benilde, burying five straight points before they ended the third ahead by six, 64-58.
A series of fouls was then called against Benilde, allowing Yam Concepcion to make multiple trips to the line and convert three free throws, 61-64.
Benilde, though, responded big as Ynot and Joshua Cajucom completed a three-point play each to stretch their lead to nine in the final 3:44, 70-61. The Blazers would run away with the victory despite desperate comeback attempts from the Cardinals.
Cyrus Cuenco and Sapasap paced Mapua with 14 and 13 points apiece while Clint Escamis only made three of his 10 field goal attempts to finish with 11 markers as they absorbed their fourth loss in the last five outings.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
