SAN BEDA goes for the clincher—a fifth straight crown, the eighth in nine finals trips and the school’s 19th overall—when it faces Arellano University in Game Two of the best-of-three Season 90 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) seniors’ basketball finals series on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Red Lions take on the Chiefs at 1:30 p.m. A victory by Arellano University will force a Game Three on Saturday in the same venue.
In his last hurrah as San Beda head coach before joining the NLEX Road Warriors in the Philippine Basketball Association, Boyet Fernandez stressed that the series is not yet over despite their rousing 74-66 win in Game One.
“We just won one game and we still have Game Two to play. I know that Arellano University would fight back behind their superb players, coaching and their supporters,” Fernandez said.
“That team would not give up, and it’s a challenge for us in the next game. And we’re hoping that we could win the five-peat for San Beda. But for now, we’ll look forward for Game Two,” he added.
Arellano University Head Coach Jerry Codiñera admitted that the deadly combination of his boys feeling the mix of excitement and jitters, plus the contentment of just being in the finals, ruined their focus in Game One.
“Ang laro nila parang sa first round, second round lang. Relax lang, pero there’s no urgency na this is the finals. It’s more on us adjusting against a very powerful team. For us to beat them, we have to match their intensity,” Codiñera said.
The Chiefs sputtered in Game One with most improved player awardee Jio Jalalon falling into foul trouble. Forward Keith Agovida anchored their play on both ends on the floor, but his team had to pay the price due to his miserable four-of-12 free-throw shooting in the fourth quarter that led to the loss.
Also on Wednesday, Mapua-Malayan High School of Science eyes the juniors crown against five-time defending titlist San Beda in Game Two of their own series set at 11 a.m.
Diego de la Paz