Torres Clutch Triples Lift Benilde Over Mapua In 82-77 Thriller

Ian Torres delivered cold-blooded three-pointers in the final minute to propel College of St. Benilde to a hard-earned 82-77 victory over the Mapua University

Playing without injured players, including Rookie Jucom, Benilde relied on a collective effort from Ian Torres, Justine Sanchez, Jhommel Ancheta, and Mowell Morales to absorb Mapua’s relentless offensive pressure.

The contest opened with a furious back-and-forth exchange, as Yam Concepcion and Cy Cuenco set the pace for Mapua while Ancheta and Morales answered for Benilde. 

Fueled by Marc Igliane’s interior hustle and late three-point play, the Cardinals held a 21-17 edge at the end of the first quarter.

Mapua maintained momentum in the second period behind back-to-back triples from Cuenco and transition scoring from Ivan Lazarte, entering halftime with a 40-37 advantage.

Benilde flipped the script in the third quarter behind Justine Sanchez’s rim protection—highlighted by back-to-back blocks on a single play—and perimeter shooting.

Together with timely shots from Morales, the Blazers surged ahead, 59-57, heading into the final frame.

The fourth quarter turned into a duel with constant lead changes. A major turning point occurred at the 4:13 mark when Yam Concepcion was assessed a flagrant foul on Morales, resulting in his fifth foul and disqualification from the game.

With the game on the line, Lazarte drilled a clutch triple for Mapua to cut the deficit to 79-77 with 44 seconds left. However, Ian Torres asked for the ball on the next possession and drained an ice-cold dagger three-pointer with 19 seconds remaining to seal the victory for Benilde.

During the post-game press conference, Head Coach Paolo Layug praised his team's composure and highlighted the "next man up" mentality that helped them overcome roster shortages.

"In the end game, what was crucial there was we had a lot of our guards in," Coach Paolo Layug said. "We went with a double guard lineup with Jhommel and Ian, and Ian made some big shots in the end. Right now we're taking it day by day, game by game."

Torres, who scored all 15 of his points from beyond the arc, expressed his gratitude for the trust given to him during crunch time.

"Syempre, swerte lang din talaga ako, and thankful kay Jhommel at Kay Coach Paolo kasi tine-take ko lang talaga kung ano 'yung open," Torres shared. "Kahit ilan lang kami, basta kumpleto kami na maglalaro sa loob ng court, lalaruin na lang namin. Sila Coach naman may tiwala pa rin talaga sila sa amin."

The Scores:

BENILDE (82) – Sanchez 16, Torres 15, Morales 14, Ancheta 9, Moore 9, Jarque 8, Podador 5, Daja 3, Arciaga 3, Go 0, Lorenzo 0, Baliquig 0.

MAPUA (77) – Lazarte 22, Cuenco 14, Concepcion 13, Igliane 7, L. Nitura 6, Diaz 5, Reyes 4, Ryan III 4, Bernabe 2, M. Nitura 0, Liwanag 0, Razon 0.

Quarterscores: 17-21, 37-40, 59-57, 82-77.

Photo Credits: NCAA Philippines Media