Championship poise and Robert Bolick.
They were the key factors
San Beda rode to a second straight NCAA basketball title as the Red Lions completed a two-game sweep of the gritty but luckless Lyceum Pirates in their title series on Thursday.
The Pirates, who joined the league in 2011 and finished no more than sixth twice, loomed as the year’s biggest revelation by pulling off an 18-game sweep of the eliminations, led by eventual season MVP CJ Perez, that lifted the Intramuros-based school outright into the finals.
But the Lions reserved their loudest roar in the playoffs with Bolick, who used to warm the bench for La Salle in 2013 and 2014, taking over when the game was on the line both times in a manner that recalled his heroics when San Beda won the preseason tournament over his former school and reigning UAAP champion last June.
It was a disappointing end for the Pirates, whose coach Topex Robinson cried in a burst of frustration while surrounded by his players in the dugout after the second game. But there was nothing to be ashamed of.
The Pirates fought well and hard, even leading by 14 points in the first game of the title series, and showing the way at the end of the first three quarters in the second encounter.
What Lyceum lacked was the murderous poise of San Beda down the stretch which Bolick exemplified.
The 6-foot-1 guard from Ormoc, Leyte, who dethroned the Archers in their preseason clash with a buzzer-beating triple last June, also delivered his dagger treys on the Pirates in similar nine-point outbursts in the last quarter of the two playoff games to settle the issue.
San Beda won the series opener at 94-87 behind a closing 11-6 run and clinched the title, its 10th in the last 12 seasons, at 92-82 after outscoring Lyceum, 28-12, in the last quarter.
Bolick again drew superb backup in the clinching win from Donald Tankoua, who was later named Finals MVP based on statistics, pro-bound Davon Potts, and veterans Javee Mocon and AC Soberano.
In contrast, Perez found little support from the other Pirates as he went scoreless in the final quarter after leading all scorers in the first three quarters with 22 points.
Boyet Fernandez, who took over as coach from Jamike Jarin before the start of the season, later paid tribute to the fine work of Robinson in turning the Pirates into title contenders. But the Lions will be the team to beat again next year as they try to raise their record haul of cage titles to 22 with Bolick deciding to return a final time.
On the UAAP front, defending champion La Salle secured the first title berth by rolling back Adamson, 82-75, in their Final Four duel Saturday.
Ateneo, whose own bid for a 14-game elimination sweep, was stopped by La Salle, 79-76, early in the week, was forced by Far Eastern U to a do-or-die duel after the Tamaraws’ 80-67 win on Sunday.