AFTER five excruciating years, San Beda is finally back at the top.
It was a long way back to the promised land but the Red Lions can call themselves champions once more after outlasting the Mapua Cardinals, 76-66, in Game 3 of the NCAA Season 99 finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.
Yukien Andrada etched himself among the long list of San Beda greats as he scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half to power the Red Lions against the Cardinals who up until the third quarter looked poised to win it all.
The third-year forward led a 15-2 San Beda run midway in the payoff period which turned a 58-61 deficit to a commanding 73-63 lead with 2:02 remaining in the game.
SAN BEDA COACH HAILS PLAYERS
“I’m speechless. It’s really the players. They were working hard even before the season started, way back in January. There were struggles, there were adversities, but they remained resilient through all of it,” San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta said.
“There are guys who left, sabi ko nga sa kanila kanina, if we win this championship, I’m gonna be really proud of them, they deserve this, after all that has happened last year and this year, these are the guys who stayed, the guys who believed in themselves.”
Andrada’s hot streak came just at the right time as the Cardinals started to find their groove in the middle quarters, with JC Recto and Ryle Rosillo starting to find their rhythm.
Thankfully, Andrada found his shooting just at the right time, drilling five triples in the final 20 minutes to keep the Red Lions within striking distance, before that backbreaking run in the fourth.
But it wasn’t only Andrade who came up big for the Red Lions.
PAYOSING IS NCAA FINALS MVP
James Payosing provided the muscle to Andrada’s brilliant offensive outburst, making the winning plays down the stretch, claiming big offensive rebounds and crucial free throws in the end.
He finished with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and two steals for the game, and he was named the NCAA Finals MVP moments later after being the consistent energy provider for the Red Lions the entire tournament.
“Sobrang saya. After five years nabalik sa’tin tong championship, itong MVP bonus lang to. Yung importante champion tayo,” Payosing said as he posted averages of 9.6 points and 12 rebounds for the series.
“Since day one naghihirap kami. Committed kami with each other, pag dating ng season, maraming challenges na dumating sa team namin, then di kami nag give up. Together kami as one, ito nakuha na namin.”
Nygel Gonzales also stepped up big for the Red Lions, adding 10 points while Jacob Cortez brushed off cramps to finish with eight points and eight assists.
For the Cardinals, the fourth quarter proved to be their undoing.
Looking good after a strong third, the university from Muralla shot themselves in the foot by going trigger-happy from beyond the arc as they struggled to solve the impenetrable Red Lion defense that has been the league’s best for the entire season.
Reigning MVP Clint Escamis was perhaps the personification of their struggles as he finished with a forgettable 4/22 from the field. In the final two games which they lost, Escamis made just eight of 43 from the field.
Recto led the Cardinals with 18 points and 14 rebounds but that proved to be for naught as they dropped their second NCAA championship in three seasons.
The scores
San Beda 76 - Andrada 20, Payosing 11, Gonzales 10, Cortez 8, Royo 6, Jopia 6, Tagle 4, Alfaro 4, Puno 3, Visser 2, Cuntapay 2
Mapua 66 - Recto 18, Escamis 13, Rosillo 10, Hernandez 6, Cuenco 5, Dalisay 5, Bonifacio 4, Soriano 3, Fornis 2, Bancale 0, Sabsalon 0
Quarters: 24-15, 36-35, 53-57, 76-66
PHOTO: Patrick Romero
By then the Cardinals just had no answers as the Red Lions claimed their thrones once more for the first time since 2018, and their 23rd NCAA title – the most in the oldest collegiate league in the country.
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