BY LEE BENJAMIN
COACH Yuri Escueta's superstar guard and 'magic bunot' pulled San Beda University out of a do-or-die hole and pushed them toward a winner-take-all bout for the NCAA Season 99 men's basketball title.
Behind Jacob Cortez's late-game heroics and AJ Royo's surprise contributions, the Red Lions silenced Mapua University, 71-65, and its championship celebration-hopeful crowd inside the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.
ROYO IS ESCUETA'S 'MAGIC BUNOT'
Royo, who played just 12 seconds in San Beda's 68-63 Game 1 loss, was a shocking starter for Escueta and energized their 8-0 start to the game.
The Cardinals, however, regrouped with a 23-6 third period and were still holding on to a five-point edge, 61-56, inside the last seven minutes until Jomel Puno's basket and bonus ignited a 14-2 blast for a 70-63 Red Lion lead with 2:30 left.
The highlight of the pivotal push was three misses, but three offensive rebounds as well for San Beda, with the ball eventually ending up in Cortez's hands.
In their fourth possession, the King Lion threw up a dagger over Ryle Rosillo's outstretched arms that landed right into Mapua's heart.
The Red Lions ramped up the intensity from there and suffocated newly minted MVP Clint Escamis and Game 1 star Paolo Hernandez into forced triple tries.
"This was a do-or-die game. Sabi ko, todo na 'to. We just told our players to stay together and 'wag sumuko," said Escueta.
San Beda fans didn't get to cheer for any individual awardee before the game but were roaring throughout as the Red Lions kept their hopes alive for a 23rd championship overall.
Cortez showed the way with 21 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Royo added six markers, three boards, and three dimes in nearly 26 minutes of all-out energy.
ESCAMIS A NON-FACTOR FOR MAPUA
On the other hand, Escamis suffered through a dismal 15-point outing on 4-of-21 shooting from the field, just an hour and a half after being officially hailed as Most Valuable Player-Rookie of the Year. Hernandez didn't fare any better in front of a jam-packed crowd of 22,465 with 13 markers in 3-of-17 shooting.
They hope to wake up from their nightmare, even as Cortez and the Red Lions look to build on their momentum in the winner-take-all Game 3 next Sunday at Araneta Coliseum.
"Same intensity ang what we want to bring to that game. But this is a big win for us, our first win against Mapua (this season). Our players now know we can beat them," said Escueta.
Meanwhile, College of St. Benilde topped LPU, 93-83, to take third place.
Robi Nayve dropped 18 points built on four triples to go with five rebounds and four assists in his last game and Josh Cajucom contributed 15 markers and six boards for a strong showing to be the Blazers' lead guard next year.
Graduating forward Miggy Corteza also added 14 points, most coming in their 28-point third-quarter breakaway.
"We'll take it. We would've been fourth under normal circumstances. We're happy we had another game to play and we got to use our younger guys," said coach Charles Tiu of fourth-seeded Benilde's consolation bronze finish.
Will Gozum, last season's Most Valuable Player, only played 11 minutes for seven points in his last NCAA outing, while KBL-bound Migs Oczon was in street clothes.
The Lyceum Pirates were also missing their main man in Enoch Valdez, who already signed a two-year contract with NLEX, and had Mac Guadana topping the scoring column with 16 points.
BOX SCORES
FINALS GAME 2
SAN BEDA 71- Cortez 21, Puno 9, Andrada 9, Jopia 8, Alfaro 7, Royo 6, Cuntapay 5, Payosing 4, Tagle 2, Gonzales 0, Visser 0
MAPUA 65- Escamis 15, Recto 14, Hernandez 13, Soriano 10, Cuenco 5, Rosillo 5, Bonifacio 3, Asuncion 0, Dalisay 0, Bancale 0
QUARTER SCORES: 20-19, 42-30, 48-53, 71-65
BATTLE FOR THIRD
BENILDE 93- Nayve 18, Cajucom 15, Corteza 14, Marasigan 8, Carlos 7, Gozum 7, Sangco 6, Marcos 5, Morales 4, Lepalam 4, Arciaga 2, Jarque 2, Turco 1, Mara 0, Jalalon 0
LPU 83- Guadana 16, Penafiel 15, Montano 9, Umali 8, Barba 8, Cunanan 7, Culanay 6, Versoza 5, Aviles 4, Moralejo 3, Saure 2, Villegas 0
QUARTER SCORES: 24-22; 43-41; 71-56; 93-83
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