Mapua, San Beda battle for high school hoops supremacy

Game Saturday

(MOA Arena)

2:30 p.m. – San Beda vs Mapua (jrs)

MANILA, Philippines – Mapua and San Beda are the two most titled high school teams in the NCAA today with 20 championships apiece. Only one will get to embrace history after Saturday.

After splitting the first two games of their best-of-three title showdown, the Robins and the Cubs go at it one final time for that league-best 21st championship in the 90th NCAA basketball tournament at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.

Mapua took Game One, 84-75, last Monday but San Beda bounced back by grabbing a 78-68 win Wednesday to forge the 2:30 p.m. decider.

The Robins are gunning for their first title since going all the way 14 years ago while the Cubs are shooting for a sixth straight championship, the longest title run by any team in the league.

Interestingly, San Beda and Mapua are the only two high schools that have won five straight titles with the former accomplishing the feat from 2009 up to the present and the latter 1968 to 1972.

Mapua coach Randy Alcantara said they need to start strong for them to have a chance.

"The key is plating aggressive from start to finish," said Alcantara, who was partof the 1990-91 Mapua team that won the NCAA crown, in Filipino."In Game Two, we had a flat start and when we had a chance to close, we lost steam."

For San Beda mentor JB Sison, it was a matter of managing minutes.

"We were successful in managing the minutes of my players especially Kenneth Alas, who had cramps in Game One," said Sison.

Mapua's other motivation is regaining its supremacy after once lording it over high school basketball up to 2000 before San Beda won eight championship in the next four seasons to catch up.

"We just want to win back the title for the school," said Alcantara.