By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter
FOR the 10th time in 12 years the San Beda Red Lions are kings of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball after they completed a sweep of the Lyceum Pirates in their best-of-three finals series with a 92-82 victory in Game Two yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Showing tremendous resolve to stay the course despite their struggles early and parading their championship experience down the stretch, the Lions closed out the Pirates and made sure no more rubber match was to be played.
The game was delayed for several minutes as the scoreboard at the Smart Araneta Coliseum was not functioning properly.
When the match finally began, Lyceum did not waste much time jump-starting things to eventually race to a 22-17 advantage at the end of the opening frame.
In the second quarter, San Beda started finding its groove, slicing its deficit to just two points, 27-25, early on led by Javee Mocon and Donald Tankoua.
Instead of folding amid the pressure though, Lyceum fought back, towed by CJ Perez and Mike Nzeusseu.
The Pirates would maintain a lead, 47-41, at the halftime break.
Lyceum continued to hum to start the third canto with Perez at the forefront.
The Pirates established a 55-47 lead in the opening minutes of the frame.
But San Beda would charge back, levelling the count at 55-all with 4:20 remaining in the quarter.
Lyceum created more breathing space, 63-57, but the Lions kept coming back, seizing the lead, 65-63, behind a triple from Robert Bolick as the quarter wound up.
The Pirates though would respond as skipper Jasper Ayaay countered with a triple to give the lead anew to Lyceum, 66-65, at the end of the third period.
The two jostled hard to start the fourth canto, fighting to a 73-all affair with six and a half minutes left in the contest.
San Beda then waxed hot, outscoring Lyceum, 7-3, in the next three minutes to build an 80-76 lead.
Lyceum managed to cut down the Lions’ lead to just one point, 83-82, with 1:40 to go off an and-one from Nzeusseu but back-to-back triples by AC Soberano and Bolick after pushed the Pirates to a very tough bind, 89-82, with less than a minute to play.
The Pirates tried to rally back but no comeback was to be consummated as San Beda surged on to the championship.
Bolick led the Lions with 18 points, five rebounds and six assists while Tankoua, named finals MVP, had a double-double of 17 points and 17 rebounds.
Graduating player Davon Potts finished with 15 points, Mocon 14 and Soberano 11.
NCAA most valuable player Perez paced Lyceum with 22 points, four rebounds and five assists before fouling out.
Nzeusseu had 15 points and 15 rebounds while Jaycee Marcelino had 12.
“We played tense in the first half as the boys wanted to finish it outright. But at halftime we told them to settle down and step up their defense. Good thing they responded and we were able to control the Pirates in the second half. That was the key for us in winning the championship,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez after their title-clinching win.
Its latest conquest is the 21st in school history for San Beda.
The loss, meanwhile, was a difficult ending for Lyceum which swept its way to the finals by going 18-0 in the elimination round.
