Letran Knights celebrate their third straight NCAA championship. NCAA PHOTO
Before Sunday’s tipoff for Game 3 of the NCAA men’s basketball Finals, Alfrancis Chua had one messafe to the Letran Knights, one that underscored the faith he had in the squad.
“When I went to Letran’s practice [before Sunday], I told the team and Bonnie (Tan) only one thing,” the San Miguel Corp. sports chief said after Letran’s championship-sealing 81-67 win against the St. Benilde Blazers at Ynares, Antipolo.
“They won’t beat us.”
Chua, special assistant to the Letran rector for sports development, said he always knew the Knights would undoubtedly beat St. Benilde and complete a three-peat.
“Whatever they’d do to us, it would be no problem, but the ball? The ball is something they can’t control. The ball has no brain, you can’t command it,” he added.
The Knights won the best-of-three series, 2-1. It was the first three-peat in the league since San Beda completed one in Season 94 last 2018.
According to Chua, who was not in Antipolo for Game 3, when he heard of the halftime score, he already knew what the outcome would be.
“We [had a] game plan for [the Blazers] and in the first half, we already got them. I told coach Bonnie after that, they won’t be able to react,” he said.
The defending champions led, 51-33, over the top-seeded St. Benilde at intermission.
Chua, who was PhilSports Arena to watch his SMC teams play in the Philippine Basketball Association semifinals, also said the Season 98 title was special because of everything Letran went through.
“[T]his is the championship with so many intrigues. A lot [of players] were suspended but I told them, that’s … part of growing.”