OLA Adeogun will again be San Beda’s tower of power.
On the cusp of another crown, San Beda knows the title-clinching victory is the toughest one to pull off.
The defending champions Lions brace for a more aggressive Letran Knights today in Game 2 of their best-of-three title series for the 89th NCAA seniors basketball championship at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
A victory by the Lions in the 2:30 p.m. clash will give San Beda its fourth straight crown and 18th overall—a league record and two more than Letran.
Game 2 is usually a struggle for the Lions in their run to the title the past few seasons, including last year when Letran bounced back to forge a deciding game.
And the fact isn’t lost on San Beda’s rookie coach Boyet Fernandez, whose Lions took Game 1, 80-68, last Monday.
“The clincher is always hard,” said Fernandez. “It will not be a walk in the park. I’m sure Letran will attack us. They will be more aggressive tomorrow.”
Fernandez said veterans like Rome dela Rosa have been quick to remind the Lions of the perils of dropping Game 2.
“The tendency in Game 2 is that the other team always plays better than Game 1 so we have to be prepared and match their intensity,” said Fernandez.
The Red Cubs try to set up San Beda for a championship double earlier when they gun for their fifth straight title against the La Salle-Greenhills Greenies in the juniors division at 12:30 p.m.
Drawing superb efforts from Baser Amer, Ola Adeogun and reserve guard Ivan Ludovice, the Lions unleashed a blistering attack in the final period to overhaul a third-quarter deficit and prevail convincingly.
The Lions outscored the Knights, 33-16, in the final period as Letran stars Raymond Almazan and Mark Cruz got little support from teammates down the stretch.
The Knights, however, can take heart at their third-quarter effort, which saw Almazan dominate the paint even against Adeogun.
“We’re still confident we can come back and win the championship,” said Letran coach Caloy Garcia.
The subpar performance of the reserves actually forced Garcia to call out his bench for not doing enough to support their cause. It was a stark contrast for the Lions, who got contributions from everyone in the roster, particularly Ludovice and Anthony Semerad, who combined for 20 points.