For the first time in more than three decades, Mapua University and San Beda University will once again duke it out in the NCAA championship round as both squads look to end a string of heartbreaks in Season 99 finale showdown set to kick off on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena at 2 p.m.
The Cardinals and the Red Lions last crossed paths at the finals in 1991, when the Intramuros-based squad defied the odds and survived the favored San Beda to capture the Season 67 crown for back-to-back titles. And they will look to repeat history this time 32 years after.
However, odds are different this time around.
Season recap
The Cardinals will come in as clear favorites, having emerged as the best team after the Season 99 elimination round with a 15-3 win-loss card to enter the Final Four as the top seed for the first time in history.
They then made quick work of last year's runner-up De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in the semifinals to clinch a finals berth, their second in three seasons.
The Red Lions, meanwhile, are considered as the underdogs.
The Mendiola crew had to buck a slow start to the second round, which they opened with tough four losses in five games before finding their groove back to win their next four games and wind up third. The youth-laden squad also had to overcome the twice-to-beat Lyceum of the Philippines University before booking a finals return for the first time after four years.
However, in the looming best-of-three finals, everything is back to square one.
READ MORE | Mapua, San Beda write new chapter of storied programs in NCAA Season 99 Finals
The Cardinals swept the Red Lions in the elimination round when the wards of head coach Randy Alcantara carved out a dominant 75-57 win in their first encounter last September 29 behind veteran sniper Paolo Hernandez and presumptive MVP Clint Escamis.
San Beda almost had a payback in their second round clash, mounting a 12-point lead to open the fourth courtesy of a Jacob Cortez triple but their shooting went cold from then on as Mapua countered with a 14-0 rampage to take the lead at 68-67.
Up again by one in the dying seconds, the Red Lions saw their hearts get ripped when Hernandez buried the dagger three just at the right time before the shot clock expired.
That loss, though, proved to be the wake-up call for San Beda as they never dropped another game ever since that heartbreaker, winning the last four elimination round games before sending the Pirates home.
"Tingin ko nakatulong sa amin ‘yung defeats namin early in the second round. Ilang beses ko na sinabi sa inyo ‘to, the team could have easily folded, but they came together and they said to themselves ‘Matagal pa ‘to," San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta said.
"Sooner or later, hindi naman alam nasa finals na kami. But again, tingin ko kasi na pang-sixth na do-or-die na namin ‘to eh simula nung natalo kami sa Mapua."
(I think the defeats early in the early second round helped us. I always tell this, the team could have easily folded but they came together and they said to themselves, 'This will be a long one.' Sooner or later, we just found ourselves in the finals. But again, I think this was our sixth do-or-die since we lost to Mapua.)
READ MORE | How San Beda revived its NCAA Season 99 campaign and moved closer to title redemption
Escueta himself knows the job won't be easy as they look to add Mapua to their list of victims this season while stressing that fighting for school pride is one of their motivations ahead of what is expected to be a dogfight final.
"We have to prepare kasi nga hindi namin sila natalo in the first and second round. Their talent is ibang klase so that’s something that we need to be ready for," he added.
"It’s not gonna be easy but every time you wear that San Beda jersey, you wanna represent and win the championship for everyone so paghahandaan namin and pagaaralan."
(We have to prepare since we haven't defeated them in the first and second round. Their talent is really different so that's something that we need to be ready for. It's not going to be easy but every time you wear that San Beda jersey, you want to represent and win the championship for everyone so we will prepare and study.)
Mapua, meanwhile, is out to complete an unfinished business after falling short of the title back in Season 97, where they fell prey to Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
Cardinals head coach Randy Alcantara, who was still a player the last time Mapua hoisted the NCAA championship trophy in 1991, stressed they won't just prepare physically, but also mentally.
"Kailangan talaga maka-recover ‘yung mga players kasi siyempre physical at mental ‘yang finals eh," said Alcantara whose team is using the luxury of a week-long preparation for San Beda.
(The players need to recover because the finals is a physical and mental thing.)
By the numbers
The finals affair will also witness the much-awaited duel between the league's top two scorers: Escamis and Cortez.
MVP frontrunner Escamis leads the field with 16.53 points per game through the Final Four while the third year Cortez is not far behind with 15.6 markers. The rookie Mapua guard is also fourth in assists leaders with 4.21 dimes per game while Cortez is at seventh spot with 3.6.
Escamis tops the league in steals with 3.68 swats a game, but Cortez makes up for it with his offense as he is second in three-point field goals made with 2.45, just .05 behind his teammate Yukien Andrada.
On a bigger picture, the title face-off will see two teams with contrasting gameplays duke it out.
Mapua is the third best defensive team after holding their opponents to just 37.37 in total field goal percentage while also being the first and second team in points in paint and perimeter points allowed, respectively.
Mapua is also the best in the league when it comes to putting the clamps on fastbreaks (7.63), second chance plays (10.21), and turnover chances (10.89) as well as limiting the opponent's bench production at 35.89.
San Beda, on the other hand, is the best three-point shooting squad with 32.94 percentage from downtown while also emerging on top in the perimeter points at 34.45.
READ MORE | Mapua vs. San Beda: By the Numbers
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
