BY LEE BENJAMIN
THE Mall of Asia Arena housed a crowd of 22,465 on Sunday, with more than half already anticipating Mapua University's first championship in 32 years.
Holding a 61-56 lead against San Beda University, victory seemed imminent, and the venue was poised for celebration.
However, the Cardinals were unable to maintain their lead, falling victim to the Red Lions' 15-4 surge in the final minutes of Game 2.
The defeat set the stage for a winner-take-all Game 3 for the NCAA Season 99 men's basketball championship.
ESCAMIS STRUGGLES AGAINST SBC DEFENSE
Against San Beda’s staunch defense, Clint Escamis, who earlier received the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year trophies, missed a lot of ill-advised three-point shots as did Paolo Hernandez.
"Ang lapses namin today is more on three-pointers yung tinake namin. Big factor yun ba't kami natalo ngayon. We'll study film and adjust our attacks," said Escamis who along with Hernandez failed to connect from beyond the arc in the last six minutes.
Escamis and Hernandez shot a combined 7-of-38, 4-of-25 from deep, for 28 points.
The overall shooting performance of Mapua was subpar, with a 26.6 percent field goal percentage, including 5-of-33 from beyond the arc.
Escamis attributed the off-night to an excessive reliance on three-pointers, expressing the need for more practice.
CARDINALS READY TO GIVE IT ALL
Despite the setback, Mapua still has one more opportunity to secure the championship. With a week to prepare for Game 3, Escamis said they are determined to give their all and end the 32-year championship drought.
"May one life pa kami kumbaga, so all-out na talaga. Magpapakamatay na kami sa bola. This just added motivation to end that 32-year drought kaya mas kailangan pa talaga naming i-push sarili namin para manalo kami," he said.
Looking ahead to Game 3 at the Araneta Coliseum, Escamis hopes for the continued support of the Mapua crowd, urging them to maintain their energy and pride.
He sees this as a historic opportunity for the team and emphasizes the importance of seizing the moment.
"Of course, we want the same energy from them. Knowing the (recent) history of Mapua, ngayon lang din dumating yung ganito. Ito na talaga yung chance namin," he said.
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