Lions chase history

No team has ever won six NCAA senior men’s basketball titles in a row but San Beda College gets a chance to make history when the Red Lions try to extend their stay on the throne in the deciding Game 3 of the Finals against Letran at the SM Mall of Asia Arena today.

The Knights, however, won’t make it easy. They’re out to end a long title drought. Letran hasn’t reigned since 2005-06 and the proud Intramuros school isn’t forgetting that San Beda won championships in 2007, 2012 and 2013 at its expense. For Letran, it’s payback time in the winner-take-all clincher.

The championship rivalry between the schools goes back to 1950 when Letran’s dreaded Murder, Inc., starring Lauro Mumar, Louie Tabuena, Herminio Astorga and Cesar de Sequera, beat San Beda with Caloy Loyzaga for the crown. Over the years, both schools dominated basketball in the NCAA with San Beda collecting 19 titles and Letran 16 in the senior men’s division. They’ve also produced a long line of stars.

Letran’s gallery of heroes includes the Fajardo brothers Fely and Gabby, Freddie Webb, Samboy Lim, Kerby Raymundo, Willie Miller, Dave Regullano, Rey Guevarra, Aaron Aban and Raymond Almazan. San Beda’s outstanding players include Loyzaga and his son Chito, Boni Carbonnel, Tony Genato, Frankie Lim, Bambam Gamalinda, Garvo Lanete, Jake and Kyle Pascual, Dave Marcelo, Abe King and the Semerad brothers David and Anthony.

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So it’s fitting that this season, they’re back in the finals to settle an old score. The Lions are in their 10th straight finals appearance and they’ve won eight of the last nine championships. San Sebastian College broke the streak in 2009-10 but San Beda has since been on a roll despite changing coaches from Lim to Ronnie Magsanoc to Boyet Fernandez and now, to Jamike Jarin.

Like Jarin, Letran’s coach Aldin Ayo is a rookie. Both trace their roots to the schools they’re now coaching. To underscore the talent in their lineups, the teams are bannered by players who were picked in the recent PBA draft and will join the pro ranks at the end of the finals. For Letran, Kevin Racal was Alaska’s first round pick and Mark Cruz was tapped by the Star Hotshots in the third round. For San Beda, Baser Amer was Meralco’s first round choice and Art de la Cruz was selected by Blackwater also in the first round.

In the last two finals where they faced off, San Beda turned back Letran, 2-1. The series will also end in Game 3 today. During the double-round eliminations, both teams finished with identical 13-5 records. They split their regular season encounters with the Knights drawing first blood, 93-80, last July 16 and the Lions returning the favor, 77-73, last Oct. 6. In the playoff for the top seed in the Final Four, San Beda downed Letran, 83-78, last Oct. 13 with import Ola Adeogun erupting for 21 points to lead the charge.

In Game 1 last Friday, Letran got the jump on San Beda, 94-90, as Racal sizzled for 28 points, Rey Nambatac hit 18 and Cruz chipped in 17. But last Tuesday, the Lions countered with a 68-61 decision in Game 2, surviving 32 turnovers, as Racal was held to nine points and Nambatac went scoreless, missing six field goals and six free throws.

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It’s no secret that Letran wins with offense and San Beda with defense. So far, they’ve slugged it out in five games this season with the Lions taking three by holding the Knights to an average of 70.7 points. In the two games that Letran claimed, the Knights averaged 93.5 points. That’s a huge differential of 22.8 points. If Racal, Nambatac, Cruz and company are on target, Letran is likely to capture the crown. But if the Lions do their job defensively and turn Game 3 into a low-scoring dogfight, San Beda is bound to make history. Jarin likes to use a deep rotation because it’s critical to deploy fresh legs in playing a frenetic defensive pace. Ayo relies on a core nucleus to maintain a high level of attack.

An intriguing angle to the finals is Letran’s uncompromising position in playing an all-Filipino lineup. “This team is on a mission of proving itself as an all-Filipino team and never before has this been given emphasis and taken notice by media until this year,” said Freddie Ortiz, chairman of the Letran Alumni Foundation. “It helps that Manny Pacquiao became the team manager and has given the issue more prominence.”

Game 3 is a toss-up. Momentum is on San Beda’s side. If the Lions were able to beat Letran despite committing 32 miscues in Game 2, what more if they play efficiently? As for the Knights, it’s a matter of executing their offense. They like to run, shoot the open threes and make the extra pass. Ayo and Jarin are two of the best young coaches in Philippine basketball today. No doubt, fans are in for a treat in Game 3.