SAN BEDA head coach Frankie Lim is confident the Red Lions remain hungry for another crown in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
But Lim is also fully aware that San Sebastian is out to deny them their fifth NCAA title in six years.
After a seemingly long and taxing the 87th season, the men’s basketball tournament is down to two teams which are so familiar with each other for having met in the finals of the oldest collegiate league in the country in the last three seasons.
San Beda and San Sebastian, 1-2 in the marathon elimination phase, begin their best-of-three titular showdown on Monday at 4 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We’re hungry and it started last November of 2010,” said Lim, adding that his players are all motivated in getting another jewel to bring home to Mendiola.
The Red Lions had an easier route to the finals after beating the overachieving Jose Rizal University, 70-62, in their Final Four match. San Sebastian, the 2009 champion, on the other hand, had to beat Letran in two games in the semifinals.
Lim said the Stags are a different team right now, with top Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate Calvin Abueva playing with a mission.
The 23-year-old Abueva is the league-leader in points (21.5) and rebounds (13.5) and will be a marked man, along with Ian Sangalang and Ronald Pascual.
“Rebounds will be the key. We have to stop their people or at least limit them,” added Lim, who is eyeing his fifth title with the Red Lions.
Topex Robinson, a first-year NCAA coach, has compared the feeling of playing in the championship to his first game as a rookie Stag in 1996.
Although he admitted that Lim has a clear-cut advantage in terms of experience, the 36-year-old Robinson said his players are ready for the series.
“We will give it our best. We’ve been working hard for this and the job is not done yet for us,” said Robinson.
With Sudan Daniel, San Beda had a dominating season last year, winning all 18 games in the eliminations before sweeping the Stags in the finals.
But this year, Daniel has never been a factor because of a knee injury, forcing the Red Lions have to rely on Dave Marcelo, Garvo Lanete, Kyle Pascual, Jake Pascual and Rome de la Rosa to earn the No. 1 seed after the eliminations.
“That’s the big difference. Last year we had Sudan,” said Lim. “But I’m confident we can defend the crown.”
San Beda and San Sebastian split their elimination matches before the Red Lions beat the Stags in the playoff for the No. 1 seed in the semifinals.
In the juniors finals, La Salle Greenhills begins a gargantuan task of beating the Red Cubs thrice times to snare the title as they start their own series at 2 p.m. (Joel Orellana)
