CLINT Escamis was such a problem for College of St. Benilde in the first game of the NCAA Season 100 Finals to the point that Allen Liwag didn’t even let the interviewer finish his question when the reigning MVP was brought up in the customary post-game interview.
“Oo sobra,” Liwag, expected to dethrone Escamis for the top individual plum this season, interjected when reminded how Escamis caused headaches to their team all game long.
And he lamented their effort in stopping the 24-year-old as they allowed him to get in his groove early in the match, giving the Mapua Cardinals a headstart in their 84-73 win ovet the CSB Blazers last Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
READ: Red-hot Escamis shoots Mapua over Benilde in Game One
Escamis poured 17 of his 30 points in a sizzling first quarter for the Cardinals, creating an early separation before denying every Blazer rally to move one win away from ending 33 years of futility for the proud school from Intramuros.
“Masyado siyang mainit nun e. Napabayaan namin siya talaga nung simula palang. Kailangan mas higpitan pa namin,” Liwag added, seemingly lost for words when talking about stopping the Mapua great.
Better Than Everybody
Liwag's head coach Charles Tiu has a little more to say about the brilliant two-way guard, who spiked his 30 point explosion with five steals and four assists.
The outspoken Blazers coach believes they could have made him take harder shots, but he can’t help but tip his hat to the reigning MVP for delivering – even in the times where the Blazers finally got him covered.
“Clint Escamis was great as always. He showed why he is the MVP,” Tiu said. “It’s tough. He made a lot of tough shots in the first half. He killed us both offensively and defensively. He’s a great player. It’s tough but we just have to make him work to earn his points.”
Tiu respects Escamis’ game so much that he called him the undisputed best player competing in the finals right now, challenging his players to try and contain him come the next game.
“He’s better than everybody right now,” he said. “I hope some of our players will step up to the task and find a way to stop him.”
One guy who’s more than willing to take the assignment of stopping Escamis come the next game is prized two-way wing Tony Ynot who struggled on both ends in his first championship game in the collegiate stage.
The transferee out of San Beda vows to study Escamis’ game more as he looks to keep the high-scoring 24-year-old back to earth after averaging 31.5 points per game over his previous two.
“Pagaaralan talaga namin yung mga galaw niya. Kasi sobrang magaling talaga [siya mag-create],” he said.
“Kailangan mas pagisipan pa namin sa training kung pano namin siya dedepensahan, pano siya iistop, kasi kahit dinodouble na siya magaling parin siya [makahanap] ng butas,” he added.
“Ayun. Babawi kami. Sana pag-dating sa game two ma-istop namin siya.”
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