San Beda University and Lyceum of the Philippines have been in their fair share of battles in the NCAA.
However, history has shown that it has mostly been a one-sided rivalry as the Red Lions have often come out on top of the Pirates in their big clashes in the past.
But San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta is focused not on the past, but the present, especially with a do-or-die game coming up in three days.
"It's just, we have to focus on that game, 'di ba? Nagawa man ng Beda before 'yun, well sabi ko nga sa boys ko, let's stay in the present," Escueta added.
"I know we wanna win a championship but we have to win two more games first before we get there. Sana magdilang anghel ka at maulit namin 'yun, which won't be easy next game so we have to be ready."
("It's just, we have to focus on that game, right? Even if Beda has done it before, as I told the boys, let's stay in the present... I know we wanna win a championship but we have to win two more games first before we get there. I hope what you said comes true and we are able to repeat that, which won't be easy next game so we have to be ready.")
LPU has reached the NCAA Finals only twice, and both times, they had to go through San Beda.
With star player CJ Perez leading the way, the Pirates swept the elimination round of Season 93 but were stopped in their tracks in the Finals by a Robert Bolick-led Red Lions squad that claimed the title.
The following year, Lyceum returned to the finals stage but they still could not turn the tides as San Beda cruised to its third straight title.
Today, they met anew in the Final Four, with Lyceum holding the advantage with a twice-to-beat bonus. But the Mendiola crew was hardly pressed as they took a decisive 89-68 victory to force a rubber match.
But while Escueta hopes this team can replicate what the old San Beda squads did in 2017 and 2018, the second year tactician is expecting a dogfight with LPU.
"We're not even thinking about the championship, iyon ang totoo. Itong game lang na ito. We wanna stay in the present and get this first game," Escueta added.
"We'll worry (about) the next game when we get there. So ito lang, focus lang tayo sa game na ito and we know what we need to do. We have to lock in defensively and just focus on it para di na masyadong maraming iniisip pa."
("We're not even thinking about the championship, that's the truth. Just this game here. We wanna stay in the present and get this first game... We'll worry about the next game when we get there. So just this, we'll focus on this game and ew know what we need to do. We have to lock in defensively and just focus on it so we don't have to think about too much.")
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
