It took more than three decades for Mapua University and San Beda University to meet anew in the NCAA basketball finals stage.
On Wednesday, after 32 years, the Cardinals and Red Lions will face off for the Season 99 crown in a best-of-three finals.
While appearing in the finals stage is not necessarily new for both teams, NCAA basketball was different 32 years ago.
Back in 1991, the NCAA only had six teams, which also includes Letran, JRC, Perpetual, and San Sebastian.
The format was also different then. The tournament was divided in two halves, with the top teams of each round battling in the finals.
San Beda then won the first round, while Mapua won the second round, setting them up for the Cardinals' title defense then after the 1990 crown.
Mapua's 1991 chip was their fifth overall title in the league, while San Beda back then already had 11 titles.
The Red Lions, however, dominated the league in the 2000s as it got its 12th title in 2006, and took home more as the decade turned.
San Beda had its last title in 2018, its 22nd overall in the league, making them the winningest member school in men's basketball.
The last time Mapua and San Beda played in the finals
While Mapua and San Beda last faced on the court in the finals in 1991, both teams have appeared in the NCAA finals for some time in the last five seasons.
Mapua was a finalist in the Season 97 finals in 2022, which also had a different format as it was only a single round-robin and a play-in tournament was implemented.
The Intramuros-based squad then finished with a 7-2 card which assured them of a twice-to-beat in the Final Four. San Beda, meanwhile, also had a 7-2 card but finished third in the standings, enough for a playoff spot.
The two teams eventually faced in the Final Four, where San Beda eked out a 73-67 overtime win before Mapua squeaked past the Red Lions, 70-67, in their do-or-die game to advance to the finals.
Mapua, however, fell to then defending champions Letran as they were swept in the best-of-three series.
San Beda, meanwhile, last appeared in the finals stage in 2019, where they faced eventual champions Letran which handed the Knights the first of their three straight crowns.
The Red Lions swept the elimination round then to outright book a slot to the finals, but eventual foes Letran had other plans that season.
The Knights then dealt San Beda their first defeat of the season, 65-64, before bouncing back in Game 2, 79-76, to tie the series. However, it was Letran that emerged victorious, 81-79, in Game 3.
Mapua sweeps San Beda in Season 99
For Season 99, Mapua swept San Beda in the two times they faced off in the elimination round.
Mapua had the upper hand, 75-57, in their first round matchup, with Paolo Hernandez posting 17 points and Clint Escamis and Warren Bonifacio chipping in 14 and 13 points, respectively.
In the second round, Mapua eked out another 71-69 win against San Beda, with Paolo Hernandez delivering the game-winning triple. Escamis posted 21 points, while Cyrus Cuenco and Bonifacio added 14 and 11 points, respectively.
En route to the finals, Mapua had a smoother journey as they finished the elimination round with a 15-3 card and dispatched De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in the Final Four, 78-67.
San Beda, on the other hand, had it harder as they ended the elimination round at the third spot with a 12-6 card. The Red Lions erased the twice-to-beat advantage of Lyceum of the Philippines University, 89-68 and 82-72 before stepping into the finals.
Familiar faces
After 32 years, Randy Alcantara will return to the NCAA finals, this time as head coach of the Mapua program. He was part of the 1991 squad which also had the likes of Benny Cheng and Reynold So.
Alcantara also previously handed the juniors program which won the titles in 2016 and 2018 with the likes of Escamis, Bonifacio, and Hernandez.
Peter Alfaro, meanwhile, was part of the Red Cubs squad which the Red Robins defeated in the 2016 finals.
Cortez going against Mapua is also not new as he was part of the La Salle Green Hills squad in Season 93 and 94 which played the Red Robins in both finals series.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
