MANILA, Philippines – After 32 long years, Mapua is now on the cusp of its first NCAA men’s basketball championship after 68-63 escape from San Beda in Game 1 of the Season 99 finals at the packed Mall of Asia Arena.
Led by presumptive MVP and two-way extraordinaire Clint Escamis, the Cardinals denied a late Red Lions comeback to clinch the all-important one-game lead in the best-of-three series.
While the title may be tantalizingly close for the hungry Mapua side, the journey is nowhere near over as the resurgent San Beda squad – once a dominant NCAA dynasty – likewise carries a big chip on its shoulder after being absent in the finals in the last four years.
Led by spitfire guard Jacob Cortez, who was held to 12 points on a frigid 17% clip in the Game 1 loss, the Red Lions are itching for a monumental rally with their season already on the ropes.
Other finals first-timers like James Payosing and Jomel Puno have already proven to be ready when their numbers are called on, as they offset Cortez’s struggles with 14 and 12 points, respectively, in the series opener.
Mapua, meanwhile, is not about to just hand momentum back to an already decorated basketball program.
Bannered by the likes of Escamis, gunner Paolo Hernandez, big man Warren Bonifacio, and tenacious rookie Peter Rosillo, the Cardinals are now on their final descent after soaring as the top seed, and they now only need to stick the landing.
Can Mapua finally finish its storybook run after coming up short in Season 97? Or will San Beda interfere in the closing chapter and extend the series to a do-or-die Game 3?
Game 2 tip-off is at 2 pm, right after the 12:30 pm awarding ceremony, still at the MOA Arena. – Rappler.com