SAN BEDA showed the composure that won for the Red Lions four titles in five years by beating San Sebastian, 75-63, in Game One of the 87th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) seniors basketball finals on Monday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Jess Villahermosa came off the bench and fired 15 points, 10 in the fourth period when the Red Lions pulled away and the Stags lost their focus. So overwhelming was San Beda in that stretch that even San Sebastian head coach Topex Robinson lost his cool and was ejected in the final two minutes of the game.
“I just want the guys to be happy, but not to be too happy. We still have to win No. 2,” said San Beda head coach Frankie Lim.
Jake Pascual and Dave Marcelo each had 14 markers for the Red Lions, who goes for the title in Game Two on Wednesday at noon.
Ronald Pascual led the Stags with 16 points while Calvin Abueva had 12 and 16 boards. The duo, however, were responsible for 16 of their team’s 30 turnovers.
San Sebastian was still in the game at 55-57 but Villahermosa anchored a decisive 10-2 run and to put the game out of reach, 67-57, 2:59 remaining.
The Stags never recovered from that San Beda surge and Robinson lost his composure and was whistled for a technical foul for too much complaining.
In the juniors division, La Salle Greenhills pulled off a landmark win over San Beda, 85-82, to neutralize the “thrice-to-beat” advantage of the Red Cubs in the finals.
Andre Paras, son of former Philippine Basketball Association star Benjie Paras, scattered 11 of his 13 points in the pivotal fourth quarter that helped the Greenies preserve the win and virtually knotted the series to 1-1 apiece.
