Blazers whip Chiefs, keep football lead

MANILA, Philippines — St. Benilde, behind Vincent Lovitos and Major Ebarle’s braces, trounced Arellano U, 5-0, to keep the solo lead in the seniors’ division of the 93rd NCAA football tournament at the Rizal Memorial Complex grounds Thursday night.

Lovitos and Ebarle combined for three of the Blazers’ four-goal binge in the second half as St. Benilde stayed at the helm with 13 match points.

Carmelo Vicente Genco accounted for CSB’s only other goal.

The loss dropped the Chiefs from second to third behind the San Beda Red Booters, who were held to a 1-1 draw by the upset-conscious Lyceum of the Phl U Pirates.

Both San Beda and AU had 10 match points but the former had better goal differential, 27-1.

Nimrod Balabat scored on the 51st minute to give San Beda, the defending champions, a 1-0 lead but Levi Malihan struck back with a rocket in the 73rd to escape with the draw.

Perpetual Help and Mapua also fought to a 2-2 standoff in the other match.