Salvacion saves Blazers

Defending champion St. Benilde, starring Sunday Salvacion, lived to fight another day when it crushed Jose Rizal University, 98-84, while Mapua did just the same by turning back San Sebastian, 65-58, in the Final Four of the 77th NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the oven-hot Rizal Memorial Coliseum yesterday.

Salvacion, one of the finest collegiate players in the land today, burned the hoops with 39 points built around six triples as the Blazers, the No. 4 squad after the double-round elims, beat the Heavy Bombers for the second time in three days. JRU, for topping the elims, is armed with a twice-to-beat edge in the semis.

The Blazers were in the same position last year when they defeated the Perpetual Altas twice in the Final Four before beating the Stags in the best-of-three final. Another victory over JRU on Saturday will give St. Benilde the chance to duplicate their cinderella finish last season.

San Sebastian also enjoyed a twice-to-beat edge against Mapua but like JRU simply failed to capitalize on it, allowing the Cardinals, who reached the Final Four for the first time since 1995, to forge a decisive match tomorrow, where both winners will advance to the best-of-three title series.

The St. Benilde-JRU contest was tight only until midway on the first half when the Blazers, led by Salvacion, broke a 14-14 deadlock en route to a 31-17 lead. The Heavy Bombers, despite the presence of chief gunner Ernani Epondulan, never recovered and faced a 72-87 deficit entering the final two minutes.