THOUGHTS | THE IAN TORRES BUZZER BEATER

FROM DUGOUT PHILIPPINES

I just have to blog about this real quick. I’ve been swamped with work all day and all night. Thank God, I already had a few things prepared.

Otherwise, this day would’ve been even longer.

And take note: I’m doing all of this on a Friday, during a long weekend, and in a month where everyone would rather be with their families.

But hey, Game 2 between the Benilde Blazers and the San Beda Red Lions was the gift that kept on giving… until it turned into a nightmare ride that might just open the pathway to hell for San Beda Red Lions fans if they lose this Sunday.

The big twist for this game was San Beda's decision to rest Janti Miller’s worn-out body. Add to that the timing—this was right after Allen Liwag’s inclusion in the Gilas Pilipinas SEA Games roster.

And oh yeah, let’s not gloss over the fact that Ian Torres dropped 18 points in a losing effort where Benilde was down by almost 20 at one point.

But remember when I said in my previous Final Four blog that Torres’ career output didn’t really matter because Benilde just needed the usual scoring from Liwag, Shawn Umali, Tony Ynot, and Justine Sanchez?

Well… I was partly right.

Partly.

Torres jumped right back into the mix again in Game 2, probably because Coach Charles Tiu rewarded his Game 1 heroics when everyone else struggled.

Torres was aggressive again—coming up with 15 points in the last 39 minutes and 54 seconds of the game. That said, he wasn’t flawless. There was one play I honestly laughed at: he called for an iso, his teammates hesitated like “seriously?” and when they finally gave it to him, he threw an errant pass to Shawn Umali for a turnover.

Ugh.

But when it mattered—clutch time—Torres had the ball with the game tied. He could have given it up. Tony Ynot was open. Justine Sanchez is an option for the game winner. Benilde could afford a miss. But Torres already had his mind made up. He took off like someone participating in the PBA’s Obstacle Challenge, sprinted to the other side with everyone looking at him, and launched a magnificent floater that will forever be etched in the memory of the Benilde faithful—and honestly, anyone collecting the best moments of NCAA Season 101.

I couldn’t find a cleaner clip of the moment, but it’s around the 38th minute of the video. Benilde was surviving Bryan Sajonia’s flu game, and San Beda was matching them blow for blow, even without Janti.

But everything changed when Torres decided to write his name into Benilde's history with one fearless, insane shot.