San Beda mauls Arellano, roars to 5th straight NCAA title

MANILA, Philippines — Let the red and white confetti fall and fill Mendiola with screams as the San Beda Red Lions claimed a fifth straight NCAA Seniors basketball title at the expense of the Arellano University Chiefs, 89-70, at the Mall of Asia Arena Wednesday afternoon.

SAN Beda’s Ola Adeogun (right) elevates to block Arellano’s Keith Agovida in yesterday’s Game 1 at MoA Arena. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

In total, the Red Lions now have 19 basketball titles under their crimson manes making them the most successful school in the basketball history of the NCAA.

From the get-go, it looked like the Chiefs could tame the Lions with an early 7-4 lead over the defending champs.

Red Lions Kyle Pascual and Anthony Semerad, however, had different ideas as they combined for five unanswered points to take the lead, 9-7.

San Beda’s lead then ballooned to double-figures which proved to be the end of the Chiefs’ Cinderella run with guard Rondal Sarah hitting a three-pointer at the 9:13 mark of the second quarter to cap a 17-2 hunt.

It proved to be the final stand for the Chiefs as the Red Lions preyed on them until the final buzzer.

Semerad finished with a game-high 30 points to grab the Finals Most Valuable Player award while his head coach Boyet Fernandez took the Coach of the Year plum.

Pascual followed the alpha lion with 16 points with Ola Adeogun and Art dela Cruz adding 15 and 12 respectively.

Keith Agovida led the runners-up with 16 points.

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