Winless no more: Blazers edge Pirates for 1st victory in 18 games

MANILA, Philippines – St. Benilde pulled the rug from under Lyceum of the Philippine U, 65-61, on Friday to avoid the futility of having a winless season in the 92nd NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Blazers, who are 0-17 going into game, appeared headed to owning the distinction of being the first team in two decades of finishing the double-round elimination without a single win  as they trailed by 13 points in the fourth quarter

But St. Benilde clawed its way back behind the heroics of Senegalese Clement Leutchue, who banged his way to 18 points including 12 in the fourth quarter that sparked the dramatic fightback.

When the final buzzer sounded, St. Benilde coach Gabby Velasco bowed his head in relief while some of the players including team captain Pons Saavedra shed tears of joy of finally winning one that more than soothed the pain of losing their first 17 games of the year.

"It's an emotional win not just for me but also for the players and the rest of the team, we've been waiting for this day to come," said Velasco, who is on his fourth season with the team.

It was most special for Saavedra, who played his last season and whose United States-based mother is fighting brain tumor.

"I wasn't supposed to return to attend to my mom in the US but she told me to play and I'm we finally won," said Saavedra, who was in crutches after fracturing his foot in their last game.

The win helped the Blazers sidestep the ignominy of becoming the first team of losing all their games since the Phl Christian U Dolphins, former NCAA members, lost all their 12 games exactly two decades ago.

No school has ever come close to duplicating such forgettable feat ever since.

The worst records after it came in 2009 when Angeles U Foundation went 2-16 and last year when EAC had gone 2-16.

And then the Blazers came very close.

The Pirates fell to 6-12.

The scores:

CSB 65 – Leutcheu 18, Dixon 12, Haruna 11, Fajarito 9, Young 6, Pasamante 5, Sta. Maria 2, Domingo JS 2, Castor 0, Domingo JJ 0, Suarez 0, Pajarillaga 0, Belgica 0, Pili 0

LPU 61 – Caduyac 11, Baltazar 11, Nzeusseu 10, Alanes 8, Marata 6, Soliman 4, Malabanan 4, Ayaay 2, Bulawan 2, Alban 2, Gabayni 1, Magbuhos 0, Soriano 0, Rubite 0, Serafico 0

QUARTERSCORES: 18-13, 26-30, 41-47, 65-61