Just when every other high schooler in the country is somewhere else enjoying the Halloween break, the Red Cubs and the Greenies went at each other’s throats in the championship of a season prolonged by a 10-team field that had to play a season well into—for the seniors—and after the semestral break.
Nazareno’s split free throws came in the final 8.1 seconds that shattered a 73-73 count and the Red Cubs managed to pull off a defensive gem in the next play when Junjun Bonsubre intercepted Thomas Torres’s pass intended for Jon Villaruz.
The Red Cubs shoot for the crown on Thursday against a back-against-the-wall Greenies who had to win two more times to dethrone their opponents.
“We don’t want this one to slip away. But we were lucky to win this even though we did not share the ball well,” said Red Cubs head coach Brit Reroma.
“I challenged them to show their character because we are the defending champions here. And they responded to the challenge,” he added.
Francis Abarcar led San Beda with 21 points while Arvin Tolentino added 19 and hauled down 12 rebounds. Nazareno chipped in 16.
Abarcar broke a 71-all standoff with a lay-up but Villaruz knotted the score anew with two free throws off Nazareno, 73-73, with 40.6 seconds left in the game.
The Greenies, who won the first game of the championship series, 88-85, had the chance to grab the lead but Ranbill Tongco’s attempt missed its mark. Torres also muffed his lay-up that resulted to Nazareno’s free throw.
Villaruz finished with 20 points while Mario Bonleon added 13 for the Greenies of coach John Flores.
Andre Paras, son of former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) great Benjie Paras, was held to just eight points before fouling out with 1:05 remaining in the game.
Paras was huge in the first game, hitting 11 of his 15 points in the fourth period that helped La Salle Greenhills nail its first finals win in the NCAA since 1998.
It was indeed a disappointing loss for the Greenies, who were in control of the game early, leading 38-33 at halftime and even padding it to 11 points before the Red Cubs made a second-half run behind Abarcar, Tolentino and Nazareno.
(Joel Orellana)
