Let’s drink to that, ol’ champ

The league’s winningest team, which had been without a title the last four years, was back in cloud nine last night, basking in glory with its 17th crown.

San Miguel shrugged off a slow start and outplayed Talk n Text at crunchtime, pulling off a gripping 91-87 victory to wrap up the Gran Matador PBA Fiesta Cup crown.

The Beermen took some time to get their game going but when they finally did, there was no stopping the team in clinching the game and the series to the frenzied celebration of the squad, their fans and supporters at the Cuneta Astrodome.

In a game that swang like a pendulum at endgame, the Beermen pulled through with their veteran mainstays delivering when needed the most.

Danny Ildefonso scored on a jump-hook to push San Miguel ahead at 88-87 then Olsen Racela pulled a crucial steal and went to the stripe for two key charities as the Beermen eventually broke the back of the Phone Pals.

Curiously, the Beemen played the catch-up role from the start until they opened the fourth quarter with a decisive 11-to-nothing run to seize the lead at 72-66.

The Phone Pals regained the upperhand at 85-84 but the Beermen just wouldn’t give up, showing the stuff of a champion team at crunchtime.

"Up to now I believe that we’re the underdogs in this series. The key really was the team wanting the championship badly," said San Miguel coach Jong Uichico amidst the din and clatter of the oncourt championship celebration.

"Falling behind by 10 points at one point in this game, pwedeng nagpahinga na lang sana ang players and try to win the series in the next game.

Pero hindi bumigay ang mga players," added Uichico, who dedicated his sixth title in the league to mentor Ron Jacobs who’s still in sickbed.

Uichico also made special mention of import Ace Custis with whom, he believed, they’re destined to win the championship.

"There were guys who tried to recruit him in the early goings of the series but he’s not yet available then. Suddenly, he called us up, saying he’s already available to play," Uichico explained.

The Beermen went 6-1 (win-loss) with Custis in the season-ending tourney.

The Virginia Tech standout, who averaged 18 points and 13.2 assists in the first six games, made 22 points and 14 rebounds last night.

Ildefonso, the team’s leading local scorer in the tourney, made only 12 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field and 6-of-10 clip from the stripe. But he rose to the occasion at endgame and went on to win the Finals MVP award.

"Matagal-tagal na rin talaga kaming hindi nananalo ng championship, kaya gustong-gusto naming manalo. Nagkaroon ng pagkakataon, kaya hindi na namin pinakawalan," said Ildefonso.

Dondon Hontiveros, Danny Seigle and Dorion Peña also played big last night, making it easier for the team to noch their first title since their conquest of the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the 2001 All-Filipino Finals.

"No matter how many championship you’ve already won, you still can’t explain the feeling of winning. You always become emotional," said Uichico.

For a while, it appeared Talk n Text would stall San Miguel’s bid with the Phone Pals jumping the gun on the Beermen, posting two nine-point leads right in the first quarter.

After San Miguel came alive in the second quarter and tied the game at 40-all, Talk n Text went to work again in the third to erect its biggest lead in the game at 57-47.