By: Mark Rey Montejo
Defending champion National University tightened up its defensive screws and shut down College of St. Benilde in overtime to eke out a 88-72 win and clinch a semifinal spot in the FilOil-EcoOil Preseason Cup on Wednesday, June 14, in San Juan.
The Bulldogs showed grit and tenacity on the defensive end, particularly in the extra period where they held a potent offensive team like the Blazers scoreless while also finding their groove with 16 points in overtime to bag the win.
Jake Figueroa provided the Bulldogs a much-needed lift with 16 points – including the booming right wing triple that tied the game at 72-all with 1.1 seconds left in regulation, eventually sending the back-and-forth contest to the overtime.
He also finished with five rebounds and three assists while Steve Nash Enriquez topscored with 21 points, four rebounds and four assists.
Felipe Marasigan spearheaded CSB with 15 points and five rebounds while Miguel Oczon, who also delivered some big hits for the Blazers, added 11 points, four rebounds and five assists.
Meanwhile, Far Eastern University made a strong statement as it started the play-in tournament with a dominant 96-65 win over the VisMin regional champion Jose Maria College.
The Tamaraws were simply unstoppable, surging past the hapless Kings with a 15-2 attack midway through the second frame that all but sealed the match for the Mendiola-based squad which will go for the kill on Thursday against the same team.
Xavier Torres rallied the Tamaraw with 20 points and five rebounds while Royce Alforque added 14 points, three rebounds and six assists.
