MANILA — In a thrilling showdown at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, San Beda secured its long-awaited championship by defeating Mapua 76-66 in the NCAA men’s basketball Finals on Sunday (17 Dec 2023).

The Red Lions emerged victorious in the best-of-three title series, marking their 23rd crown and denying the Cardinals a chance to capture their first championship since 1991.

Overcoming early-season setbacks, San Beda showcased resilience, especially against top-ranked Mapua, whom they had lost to in the previous three encounters.

Excelling in do-or-die situations, the Red Lions climbed from the third spot in the regular season to clinch their place in the Finals, defeating the second-ranked Lyceum of the Philippines University.

Expressing his joy, head coach Yuri Escueta, in his second season with the program, commended his players for their dedication and hard work throughout the season.

Escueta, a proven winner with UAAP titles as a player for Ateneo, highlighted the team’s journey, saying, “Pinagtrabahuan namin ito since January. Lahat pinagdaanan namin.”

James Payosing, delivering a standout performance, secured the Finals MVP title with a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds, accompanied by two steals.

Yukien Andrada played a pivotal role as he uncorked an impressive second-half surge, contributing 20 points along with Nygel Gonzales who came away with 10 points to the scoreboard.

In the final period, Andrada matched the Cardinals’ output with nine points, sealing the deal for the Red Lions who had a decisive 23-point final quarter output.

JC Recto led Mapua with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while season MVP Clint Escamis faced shooting challenges, finishing with 13 points on a 4-of-22 shooting performance.

Peter Rosillo chipped in with 10 points for Mapua.

  The scores:

San Beda 76 — Andrada 20, Payosing 11, Gonzales 10, Cortez 8, Royo 6, Jopia 6, Tagle 4, Alfaro 4, Puno 3, Visser 2, Cuntapay 2.

Mapua 66 — Recto 18, Escamis 13, Rosillo 10, Hernandez 6, Cuenco 5, Dalisay 5, Bonifacio 4, Soriano 3, Fornis 2, Bancale 0, Sabsalon 0.

Quarterscores: 24-15; 36-35; 53-57; 76-66

MANILA — Before an appreciative crowd of 22,465 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena, the San Beda Red Lions secured a 71-65 victory against the Mapua Cardinals in Game Two on December 10, setting the stage for a riveting decider in the NCAA Season 99 men’s basketball Finals.

Jacob Cortez orchestrated a late-game surge, contributing 21 points, including two crucial triples in the last 4:28. Despite a challenging third quarter, San Beda emerged with a remarkable 23-point performance in the final canto.

The pivotal moment came with Yukien Andrada’s three-pointer, granting the Red Lions a 70-63 advantage with 2:21 remaining.

Mapua attempted a comeback but faltered, missing crucial free throws, and Peter Alfaro sealed the deal by splitting his charities in the last 8 seconds.

Game Three is scheduled for next Sunday, December 17, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

(AI/MNM)

Game Wednesday
(Mall of Asia Arena)
2 p.m. – Mapua vs San Beda (Finals, Game 1)

MANILA — In the face of their elimination round losses to Mapua, Coach Yuri Escueta remains steadfast in his belief that teamwork will be the key to success for SAN Beda in the NCAA men’s basketball Finals.

“Basketball is a team game; you can’t win with just one or two guys. Everyone needs to step up, and the pieces need to fall into place,” Escueta emphasized.

He pointed to the team’s camaraderie and strong bonds, fostering confidence and trust among the players.

“They know they have everyone behind their back, and there’s mutual trust within the team,” he added.

The Finals, kicking off at 2 p.m. today (Wednesday) at the Mall of Asia Arena, will witness a clash between the third-ranked Red Lions and the elimination round topnotcher Cardinals.

San Beda, eliminating No. 2 Lyceum of the Philippines University in the Final Four, is on its 15th championship stint in the last 17 seasons.

Mapua, having overcome third-ranked College of Saint Benilde in the other Final Four pairing, secures their spot on the grand stage for the second time in three seasons.

For Coach Escueta, each member of his squad holds equal importance, highlighting the unity that will propel them toward victory.

“As I said nga there’s Jacob (Cortez), there’s Yuki (Andrada), but as important as those guys are even until the 15th player and 18th player I have sa lineup ko. Kasi sa practices grabe kung paano i-push ng third group yung first and second group,” said Escueta.

The Red Lions hope to find a way to neutralize the Cardinals’ top guns Clint Escamis and Warren Bonifacio.

Coach Randy Alcantara said that Mapua is extra motivated to make it back to the Finals and refused to lose sight of their goal of another championship, which the school last tasted in 1991.

Incidentally, Alcantara was part of the Cardinals squad that won back-to-back titles.

“Sabi nga noong pregame, nung against JRU nga motivation namin makabawi, ngayon one game away na lang na sa Finals na kami, so kailangan doble pa namin, i-push pa namin yung sarili namin at lalo kaming magtiwala at dumisiplina doon sa depensa namin,” said Alcantara.

“Ayun, team effort, teamwork, and trust sabi ko nga sa mga players. Nadala namin hanggang doon sa pangarap namin kasi kung ito Finals na, hindi ganoong kadali. Kailangan doble, triple trabaho namin,” he added.

(AI/MNM)

MANILA — Mapua showcased a stellar performance in the NCAA Season 99 men’s basketball semifinals, clinching a spot in the finals by defeating the College of St. Benilde, 78-67, at the MOA Arena on Tuesday.

Led by the impressive partnership of Paolo Hernandez and Clint Escamis, who have been best friends since their Mapua high school days, the Cardinals dominated the fourth quarter.

The duo combined for 16 of the team’s 22 fourth-quarter points, securing a coveted ticket to San Beda dominance best-of-three finals, scheduled for either Sunday or Monday.

Hernandez led the scoring with 22 points, while Escamis, set to be crowned MVP this season, contributed 21 crucial points.

The Cardinals’ solid defense held CSB’s Miguel Oczon to just three points in the final period, a significant factor in their victory.

Mapua’s head coach, Randy Alcantara, acknowledged the pivotal role played by the Hernandez-Escamis pair, stating, “With the help of these two veterans, nagawa namin ito (we did it).” The coach emphasized the importance of their defense against Oczon in the fourth quarter.

This victory marks Mapua’s second finals appearance in the last three seasons and presents an opportunity to end a 32-year title drought, dating back to their back-to-back championships in 1990 and 1991.

Coach Alcantara, a key player in Mapua’s previous era of glory, is now on the verge of achieving a trifecta of triumphs, aiming to add a senior title as a coach to his four championships—two as a player and two as a Mapua high school coach.

Paolo Hernandez expressed the team’s determination, saying, “With Clint and Boni (skipper Warren Bonifacio), we’ll do our best makuha this season.” Hernandez, along with Escamis and Bonifacio, was part of Alcantara’s two NCAA high school champion squads.

On the other side of the semifinal showdown, San Beda displayed dominance over Lyceum of the Philippines, securing an 89-68 victory.

Jacob Cortez played a pivotal role with a career-high 28 points, forcing a deciding game for the right to face Mapua in the best-of-three finals.

San Beda’s mentor, Yuri Escueta, emphasized their focus on survival, stating, “Focused lang kami on this game (We were focused on this game).”

The do-or-die game is scheduled to take place at the Araneta Coliseum on Friday.

      The scores:

      First Game

      Mapua (78) – Hernandez 22, Escamis 21, Cuenco 10, Bonifacio 9, Soriano 6, Rodillo 4, Recto 3, Asuncion 3, Igliane 0, Fornis 0, Dalisay 0.

      Benilde (67) – Oczon 17, Corteza 14, Carlos 10, Gozum 9, Sangco 5, Mara 5, Turco 3, Arciaga 2, Marcos 2, Nayve 0, Cajucom 0, Marasigan 0, Davis 0.

      Quarterscores: 14-18; 34-37; 56-55; 78-67

      Second Game

      San Beda (89);- Cortez 28, Andrada 12, Gonzales 12, Payosing 9, Puno 7, Visser 6, Tagle 6, Jopia 6, Alfaro 2, Cuntapay 1, Tagala 0, Torres 0.

      LPU (68) – Valdez 14, Guadaña 12, Barba 10, Cunanan 9, Umali 8, Villegas 6, Bravo 4, Montaño 3, Omandac 2, Peñafiel 0, Saure 0, Fuentes 0, Versoza 0.

      Quarterscores: 22-16; 52-38; 73-60; 89-68

(Amado Inigo/mnm)

MANILA – Kurt Reyson stepped up for Letran as he sparked and eventually capped an 11-0 run that gave the Knights an 85-84 win against the San Beda Red Lions in the Bola.TV AsiaBasket Las Piñas Championship at the city’s Villar Coliseum on Friday night.

With the Knights down 10 with 4:48 remaining, Reyson buried back-to-back triples that began their comeback against the Red Lions.

He eventually made two pressure-packed free throws with 44.3 seconds left to give Letran the lead.

San Beda still had a chance to win but Pao Javillonar blocked RC Calimag’s first layup attempt.

Calimag still got the ball while falling and found Ronrei Tolentino open, but Tolentino blew his layup as time ran out, allowing the Knights to escape.

Reyson led Letran with 19 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and one steal, while Javillonar added 14 points, eight rebounds, one block, and two steals.

Bryan Sajonia led San Beda with 25 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two blocks, while Tolentino added 17 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and three steals.

The other games saw Corsa ripping College of St. Benilde (CSB) apart, 89-78; Far Eastern University (FEU) edging Sanzar, 81-75; and Ateneo dumping Uratex, 96-63.

Justine Sanchez showed what he is capable of once he joins CSB next year by leading the way for Corsa with a solid all-around game of 21 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Corsa ramped up its defense on CSB by holding it to a combined 30 points in the second and third quarters after conceding 27 in the first.

Corsa pulled away from CSB in the second after dropping 30 points for a 56-44 halftime lead.

Ahron Estacio added 17 points, three rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block, while Gerald Anderson contributed 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals for Corsa.

Will Gozum announced his return to CSB with 18 points, seven rebounds, and one steal.

Meanwhile, the Tamaraws spoiled Adeshokan Odou’s monster game for the Fire Tigers as Xyrus Torres and Cholo Anonuevo led the final charge within the last 4:55 even as Royce Alforque and Patrick Sleat made some contributions in keeping the Fire Tigers at bay in the end.

Torres finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and one steal; Alforque added 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and one steal; Sleat had 12 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and one steal; and Anonuevo chipped in 11 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and one steal for FEU.

Odou finished with 28 points, 24 rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal, while fellow import Salomon Kone added 16 points, 20 rebounds, two assists, and one block for Sanzar.

Roger Ondoa led the locals with 10 points, 12 rebounds, one steal, and one block.

In the third game, Ateneo took over in the last three periods to pull away for good after Uratex kept in step with them in the opening quarter.

Kai Ballungay led Ateneo with 15 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block, while Mason Amos added 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal.

Jason Credo and Joseph Obasa each tallied 11 markers with Obasa also grabbing 11 boards for his own double-double.

Mike Harry Nzeusseu put up 23 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, while Bam-Bam Gamalinda chipped in 16 points and five rebounds for Uratex.

The scores:

First Game

CORSA 89 – Sanchez 21, Estacio 17, Anderson 13, Ynot 10, Cunanan 8, Ndong 6, Pagulayan 6, Acosta 6, Lepalam 2, Ortega 0.

CSB 78 – Gozum 18, Corteza 16, Carlos 13, Sangco 7, Mara 6, Jarque 4, Oczon 4, Jalalon 3, Flores 3, Davis 2, Cajucom 2, Marasigan 0, Marcos 0, Nayve 0, Morales 0.

Quarters: 26-27, 56-44, 70-57, 89-78

Second Game

FEU 81 – Torres 24, Alforque 13, Sleat 12, Anonuevo 11, Fatty 9, Tempra 6, Ona 4, Competente 2, Montemayor 0, Bagunu 0, Felipe 0, Devares 0.

SANZAR 75 – Odou 28, Kone 16, Ondoa 10, Torres 8, Kawamura 7, Mailim 4, Abaoag 2, Calapine 0, Lanzar 0, Famaranco 0, Obuyes 0.

Quarters: 18-19, 43-37, 59-53, 81-75

Third Game

ATENEO 96 – Ballungay 15, Amos 12, Credo 11, Obasa 11, Gomez 10, Koon 8, Garcia 8, Brown 6, Lazaro 6, Quitevis 5, Chiu 4, Bongo 0, Espinosa 0.

URATEX 63 – Nzeusseu 23, Gamalinda 16, Bragais 10, Adeogun 9, Pasco 2, Pardo 2, Salamat 1, Rosagas 0, Gil 0, Buyco 0, Gotladera 0.

Quarters: 17-17, 45-28, 70-46, 96-63

Fourth Game

LETRAN 85 – Reyson 19, Javillonar 14, Ariar 13, Galvez 8, Fajardo 6, Monje 6, Nunag 6, Tolentino 4, Santos 4, Jumao-As 4, Guarino 1, Go 0.

SAN BEDA 84 – Sajonia 25, Tolentino 17, RC Calimag 14, Alloso 11, Ri. Calimag 7, Lina 4, Lopez 3, Songcuya 2, Lecciones 1, Etulle 0, Dimaculangan 0, Peregrina 0.

Quarters: 26-29, 48-58, 65-74, 85-84 (PNA)