NCAA Finals: Clint Escamis has eyes only on the championship

Mapua Cardinals’ Clint Escamis during the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament Finals against St. Benilde Blazers. –NCAA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Mapua star Clint Escamis has been reiterating one thing through the course of the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball tournament.

If Escamis has anything to say about it, he doesn’t mind not winning the league’s MVP award for the second-straight time, as long as his Cardinals win the elusive title that slipped out of their grasp in Season 99.

After winning Game 1 of the Finals against College of St. Benilde, the shifty guard repeated his sentiments, for good measure.

READ: NCAA: Clint Escamis does everything right to push Cards to cusp of NCAA title

“It’s okay if I don’t get the MVP, as long as I get the championship this year,” said Escamis after their 84-73 win over the Blazers at Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

“That’s the only thing on my mind. It’s okay to not go back-to-back, as long as I’m champion because if I’m MVP and we lose, I’m the only one happy. If we’re champions, one whole community will be happy, including those who were students before who’re fathers now and all that.”

For someone who’s not projected to win the Season 100 MVP plum, Escamis sure played like the best player of the league in Game 1 after finishing with 30 points, five steals and four assists in a balanced 28 minutes of action.

This, after dropping 33 points in the Cardinals’ semifinal win over Lyceum that sent Mapua to its second straight Finals appearance.

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However, Escamis’ string of stellar games in the playoffs doesn’t necessarily equate to winning the MVP award.

That award will most likely go to the other camp with Allen Liwag heavily projected to win the citation after consistently pushing the Blazers to their second Finals appearance in three seasons.

Clint Escamis, middle, and the Mapua Cardinals in Game 1 of the NCAA Season 100 men’s basketball Finals.–NCAA PHOTO

Liwag, himself, showed why he’s deserving of the MVP award as he dropped another double-double of 18 points and 14 rebounds in the Game 1 loss for CSB.

But instead of thinking about one-upping the presumptive MVP, Escamis said he’s more focused on ticking the right boxes in order to win the only accolade he hasn’t won in his collegiate career–an NCAA title.

“Of course, my coaches are there to scout the right plays from this game. We’ll make adjustments because after all, this is a game of adjustments,” Escasmis said.

“We really need to focus on viewing and see what they’re about to do and we should also hit our open men more.”

Game 2 of the Finals rolls on Saturday at the same venue.