BY LEE BENJAMIN
The players of San Beda University were notably absent, and their crowd remained subdued as the NCAA honored its Season 99 awardees before Game 2 of the Finals at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.
In a light-hearted comment to reporters after their 71-65 victory, Coach Yuri Escueta jokingly mentioned, “Awarding earlier? Was there one? We didn't know.”
Of course, Escueta was simply playing along. Not a single San Beda player was cited as Mapua cheered the twin awards won by Clint Escamis – Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year. Another Cardinal, Warren Bonifacio, made it to the Mythical Five.
WHERE ARE THE SAN BEDA PLAYERS?
“Hindi naman kami after dun, even the players, sa individual awards. The way I use the players also, mahihirapan sila makakuha ng awards 'cause I try to use all of my players with balanced minutes,” he said.
Throughout the tournament, no San Beda player averaged more than 30 minutes on the court.
The team's balanced approach, with players like Jacob Cortez, Jomel Puno, and Yukien Andrada seeing action for over 20 minutes per game, contributed to their 12-6 record in the eliminations. They also secured back-to-back Final Four wins against the second-seeded Lyceum of the Philippines University.
In their resilient comeback from a Game 1 defeat, Escueta credited the total team effort, singling out surprise starter AJ Royo and Player of the Game Clifford Jopia.
ROYO, JOPIA PLAY KEY ROLES
Royo played a crucial role in defending against Escamis and Paolo Hernandez, while Jopia contributed both offensively and defensively.
Despite a challenging third quarter where the Cardinals took the lead, San Beda rallied with a 15-4 run in the closing moments of Game 2.
“Nung nag-run sila nung third quarter, at the start of the fourth, sabi ko lang, ‘Let’s just forget about that. Let’s move on to the fourth.’ The players listened and stuck to it,” said Escueta.
Escueta reminded his players to focus on the present and move forward, leading to their impressive turnaround.
With one more win, San Beda, a team without individual awardees, is on the brink of securing its 23rd championship overall. Escueta emphasized, “There’s one award we want to get. And that’s for everyone.”
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