Comebacking Abueva vents ire on Blazers

MANILA, Philippines - Calvin Abueva came back from one-game suspension with another double-double performance, firing 15 points and hauling down 11 rebounds to power San Sebastian to an 86-78 victory over St. Benilde in the 87th NCAA men’s basketball at The Arena in San Juan yesterday.

Abueva, who sat out the Stags’ 73-67 win over Jose Rizal U on opening day as a penalty carried over from an infraction last season, ran rings around his defenders and dominated the paint and the boards in a performance that brought to mind his league-best 13 double-double outputs in 2010.

“I put Calvin as the sixth man to give balance to the first and second stringers,” said Stags rookie coach Topex Robinson, whose wards joined unlikely leader Lyceum Pirates (2-0) at the top of the heap.

A third team shared the No. 1 spot in Letran as the Knights annihilated Perpetual Help, 74-43, behind the 18 points of Jay Espiritu, in the second game.

Up against a lightweight, Robinson had the luxury of making experiments in the Stags’ rotation.

“I’m trying to experiment with the rotation. I’m trying to blend the veterans with the new guys right now,” said Robinson. “It’s not being complacent. I just don’t want to over-use my veterans and prepare the team for a long season.”

The 23-year-old Abueva also dished off six assists and had a steal while committing just one foul in a highly productive 25-minute stint. 

“Calvin is a great player; he’s the gauge of young players. I’m trying to tell him to be mature in the game,” said Robinson of his star player, who averaged 16.26 points and 12.67 rebounds last season.

Ian Sangalang, who topscored for the Stags with 16 points, sparked a 12-2 run that ripped the game open for SSC, 26-16, after just 10 minutes of play.

Abueva fired nine points in the second period while the Stags choked CSB scorer Carlo Lastimosa to just five in the same span, as the Recoletos squad maintained a double-digit spread at the turn, 49-35.

Lastimosa, though, managed to finish with 20 points.

“It was a matter of controlling Lastimosa because he is the focal point of the offense of CSB. As much as possible, I wanted to limit the output of the other team, and try to look at how my guys will react on defense,’” said Robinson.