A BETTER ENDING
The Mapua Cardinals want to get it right this time. After dismissing the challenge of the Lyceum Pirates, the Cardinals hope to avert a repeat of their Finals loss last year and hope to take home the historic NCAA Season 100 crown.
“Our goal is to redeem ourselves after we lost the championship last season. Now, here we are,” said reigning MVP Clint Escamis, who was locked in right from the start of Mapua’s 89-79 victory over Lyceum on Saturday.
Escamis fired a record 18 points in the first quarter and finished with a career-high 33 to help the Cardinals book a spot in the best-of-three Finals that starts on Dec. 1.
Mapua also made last season’s finale, only to be hunted down by the San Beda Red Lions. It would have been sweeter if the Cardinals got back at their tormentors, but it wasn’t meant to be.
St. Benilde, the powerhouse squad that was favored all-season long to win it all, dethroned San Beda in their half of the semifinal bracket, with MVP contender Allen Liwag leading the charge of a 79-63 triumph at Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.
“Hopefully, we can come up more prepared and be ready for Mapua because if you watched Clint Escamis, he was really great today. It’s another great performance of the MVP, so we’ll find a way to stop him and Mapua,’’ said St. Benilde coach Charles Tiu.
Huge run
The 6-foot-6 Liwag simply connived with Jhomel Ancheta and Tony Ynot in the opening quarter for the Blazers, who instantly mounted a huge run and never looked back, ultimately denying last season’s champions another crack at the title.
Ynot shone against his former school, delivering 17 points on top of four assists, three rebounds, one block and a steal.
“We will prepare against them (Cardinals) the way we prepared against San Beda,” said Liwag after powering his way to 20 points and eight rebounds.
The Cardinals also wound up as the top-seeded squad after the eliminations last season and hurdled the Blazers in the Final Four before bowing to the Lions.
Escamis is dead set on changing the narrative this time starting with the opener of the championship series at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We know it’s a different atmosphere in the Finals and we have to be physically and mentally prepared against St. Benilde,’’ said Mapua coach Randy Alcantara, who is making his third appearance in the championship in four seasons.
Lit up scoreboard
Chris Hubilla likewise sparkled for the Cardinals after scoring nine of his 17 points in the pivotal fourth quarter that wiped out the slim lead of the Pirates.
Escamis lit up the scoreboard with a blazing start, exploiting the mismatch with point guard Renz Villegas and hitting 12 of his team’s first 14 points that set the tone for an early lead.
But the Pirates, behind the stellar efforts of JM Bravo, Mclaude Guadaña and Villegas, slowly chopped away at the 15-point deficit and surged ahead in the third, threatening to stretch their semifinal playoff to a decider.
Hubilla then conspired with Escamis, Yam Concepcion and Cyrus Cuenco as they pounded on Lyceum’s maze of errors and failed attempts at the free throw line.
Trailing 81-75 under three minutes, Pirates captain Greg Cunanan bungled three straight free throws followed by another bungled pair of freebies from Guadaña.
