Mapua’s Clint Escamis celebrates after draining a buzzer-beating triple to beat top team College of St. Benilde in the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament.–NCAA PHOTO
Mapua is on a familiar battlefield where it hopes to change what has been repeated frustrating endings in three of the last four years as the Cardinals battle Lyceum in the Final Four of the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday.
“I think we have a deeper lineup in terms of defense and hustle [compared to our previous teams],” coach Randy Alcantara said when asked to compare his squad that lost in the Finals to San Beda last season. “This is the advantage of this team.’’
Ranked first after the elimination phase like last year before that loss to the Red Lions, the Cardinals aren’t actually looking past the matchup with the Pirates—set at 11 a.m. at Cuneta Astrodome—retaining the same psyche of eliminating what’s in front of them before venturing to the next.
“You know how it is competing against Lyceum. They’re hardworking and difficult to beat,’’ said Alcantara.
Season 99 rookie MVP Clint Escamis is surrounded by teammates who share the same ideology of finally clinching the men’s basketball trophy that has eluded Mapua for 32 seasons, especially after appearing in three of the last four championship series.
The Pirates are no first-timers in this situation, having been to the Final Four three seasons in a row.
“It shows that you can never relax even if you’re No. 1, especially in the Final Four. You have to double or triple your efforts when it comes to preparing for your opponent,’’ said Alcantara.
Avoiding the Blazers
Lyceum made it to the Final Four in the most thrilling way when it beat College of St. Benilde to close out the elimination round. That win also made them avoid another confrontation with the Blazers in this round.
That cost the Blazers the No. 1 spot, and though they still wield a twice-to-beat edge, San Beda is a dangerous animal in the playoffs even if the No. 3 seeded Lions need to beat second-ranked St. Benilde two straight times to advance.
They get their first chance at 2:30 p.m., with veteran guard Emman Tagle talking without awe of the Blazers and the mammoth hurdle San Beda faces.
“We are the [defending]champions, and we want to show that we still possess the same grit and spirit that we had in winning the title last year,’’ Tagle said.
Except for Benilde’s heavy-duty center Allen Liwag, the manpower of both the Blazers and the Lions are almost equal.