Bulanadi, Stags send Blazers to 15th straight setback

By Ricky Manliguis

SAN JUAN, MM—Make that 15 consecutive losses for College of St. Benilde.

Blame that on San Sebastian.

Allyn Bulanadi and the rest of the Stags fought off a tough fourth-quarter storm to hack out a 66-57 win against the cellar-dwelling Blazers to cap off the Thursday edition of Season 92 of the NCAA seniors’ basketball at the FilOil Flying V Centre.

Bulanadi chalked up 17 points, including five in the last minute of the match, as the Recto-based dribblers fended off a furious end-game assault by the Taft-based squad and pick up its sixth victory against ten defeats.

Yankie Haruna had a chance to trim the Stags lead with 45 seconds remaining, but bungled both his charities, leading to a Bulanadi breakaway bucket that killed CSB’s chances with still 23.9 ticks to go.

After the Blazers threatened, 51-59, the six-foot-two Bulanadi converted on a wide-open three-pointer to give SSCR a 62-51 advantage, 1:24 left in the final frame. The boys of Coach Egay Macaraya set the tone in the first three quarters, going into the fourth with a 46-39 edge, before the Blazers mounted the mini-rally.

Comebacking reinforcement Clement Leutcheu paced the Blazers, now on its worst start since joining the NCAA in 1998, with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, followed by Haruna and Christian Fajarito with 10 points apiece.

Bulanadi was ably backed up by Ryan Costelo with 10 points and five rebounds as the Stags bounced back from a 71-83 loss to defending champions Letran last Friday that snapped its four-game winning streak. Box Scores:
San Sebastian 66 — Bulanadi 17, Costelo 10, David 8, Ilagan 8, Fabian 7, Capobres 5, Calisaan 4, Valdez 4, Calma 2, Quipse 1, Serajosef 0, Baetiong 0, Johnson 0, Mercado 0

CSB 57 — Leutcheu 11, Haruna 10, Fajarito 10, Pasamante 8, JJ Domingo 6, Dixon 5, Castor 3, Sta. Maria 3, Young 1, Saavedra 0, JS Domingo 0, Belgica 0, Pili 0, Pajarillaga 0

Quarterscores: 18-9; 27-24; 46-39; 66-57.

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