A new champion will be crowned at the end of the NCAA Season 100.
And it’s either Mapua or College of St. Benilde emerging on top and ending their respective drawn out droughts in the country’s Grand Old League.
The two duke it out in the finals of the centennial season starting with Game 1 on Sunday in a match-up never been arranged before.
Tip-off is at 2 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Here’s what to expect in the series opener – and for the entire best-of-three duel - between the two programs that haven’t won an NCAA title each for over two decades.
Head-to-head matchup
It’s even steven for both schools this season, as they levelled their head-to-head duels at 1-1, with both games featuring magnificent comebacks by the winning team. The Blazers drew first blood right on opening day at the Mall of Asia Arena, erasing an early nine-point deficit to pull off a 78-65 comeback win sparked by Allen Liwag and Tony Ynot.
But the Cardinals would have their payback two months later, as Clint Escamis led a fightback from 20 points down to complete a 75-73 win in the second round on the reigning MVP’s incredible game-winning three from near midcourt at the final buzzer.
Battle of top-seeded teams
The finals pits the top two teams of the season. It’s No. 1 Mapua against No. 2 Benilde. The Blazers held the top spot for most of the eliminations with the Cardinals closely lurking behind.
But the Taft-based crew fumbled in the stretch by losing two of its last three outings, including a costly one against host Lyceum, 82-81. In contrast, the Intramuros-based unit went on a roll by completing a nine-game sweep of the second round, thereby allowing it to overtake the green-and-white and finish as the 1-seed for the second straight season.
Road to the finals
Both holding twice-to-beat advantages, the Cardinals and Blazers lost no time to arrange their championship showdown. Mapua went on a crucial fourth quarter run to eliminate No. 4 Lyceum, 89-79, in the Final Four, while Benilde dethroned No. 3 San Beda in a blowout, 79-62, in the other semifinals pairing played at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Spotlight on Escamis, Liwag
All eyes will be on the reigning MVP and his soon-to-be successor. Both Escamis and Liwag are credited for leading their respective teams this far.
Escamis exploded for 26 points, four rebounds, and five assists, while nailing the dramatic game-winner in their second meeting of the season, while Liwag posted solid numbers of 23 points and 18 rebounds when the two teams clashed for the first time. Escamis and Liwag certainly have big says on how far their respective teams will go.
Alcantara vs. Tiu
Randy Alcantara, 52, obviously has more in terms of coaching experience than Charles Tiu, 35. He gave the San Juan Knights their first ever MPBL title in 2019, when he was also later named Coach of the Year, while also steering the Mapua Red Robins to two NCAA championships in 2016 and 2019.
Tiu meanwhile, owns three international crowns as champion coach in the Dubai International Basketball Championship and twice winner of the Jones Cup while calling the shots for Mighty Sports and Strong Group Athletics.
The two incidentally both began their coaching careers in 2009. A product of Mapua, Alcantara was tapped to handle the school’s juniors program, while Tiu, who’s from Ateneo, had his baptism of fire with the original Smart Gilas team where he served as deputy to then-national coach Rajko Toroman.
Whose title drought will finally end?
Between the two programs, the Cardinals own the longer championship drought at 33 years, having last hoisted the NCAA men’s basketball trophy in 1991 when the school won its first and only back-to-back crowns. Alcantara was part of that last Mapua champion team.
The Blazers meanwhile, won their first and only league crown in 2000 when Tiu was only 11 years old.
Both coaches actually came close to ending their respective title droughts. Benilde lost to three-peat seeking Letran in Game 3 of the Season 98 finals, 81-67, while Mapua failed to protect a 1-0 lead against San Beda and lost back-to-back, including the winner-take-all match, 76-66, in the Season 99 title series.
First NCAA champion in 15 years outside of San Beda, Letran
The Red Lions and Knights traded championships in the last 15 seasons, meaning the Season 100 winner will be the first outside of their respective lairs.
San Sebastian was the last to do it in 2009 behind a team backstopped by the 'Pinatubo Trio' of Calvin Abueva, Ian Sangalang, and Ronald Pascual. After which, San Beda won five straight from 2010 to 2014, before Letran ended the Red Lions’ juggernaut in 2015. The Mendiola-based squad regained the crown in 2016 all the way to 2018, before the Knights took over in 2019 until 2023.
Mapua will be gunning for its sixth overall crown, while Benilde is eyeing a second title.
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