PCU, Letran start NCAA title series

Philippine Christian University seeks for a back-to-back title while Letran College hopes to regain the title it won two years ago as the two collide today in the opener of the best-of-three showdown for the 81st NCAA title at the Araneta Coliseum.

Cage aficionados picked the Knights as the favorites going into their 4 p.m. encounter, having topped the elimination round with just a loss in 13 games including a two-game sweep of the Dolphins. But Letran coach Louie Alas disagreed.

"If the Final Four is tough, the Finals is tougher because everything changes in the championship, you just throw away everything," said Alas, who steered the Muralla-based school to the 1998 and 2003 titles.

Already the school with the most title in the league, the Knights conquered the Dolphins twice but both were closely fought, a 70-64 overtime win last July 27 and a 63-59 triumph last Sept. 2.

"It showed that they are beatable," said PCU mentor Junel Baculi, who won six titles in the PBL for two different franchises but never in the collegiate ranks.

But for PCU to beat Letran, Baculi thinks his team must find a way to neutralize Alas’ full-court defense.

"Their main strength is the full-court defense," said Baculi. "If we can find a way to solve that, we’ll have a better chance of beating them."

Aaron Aban and Boyet Bautista are expected to carry the fight anew for the Knights following superb efforts in their 93-60 routing of the San Sebastian Stags in the semifinals.

The high-leaping Aban, this year’s Most Improved Player, torched San Sebastian with 21 points after averaging only 13.4 points in the eliminations while the lightning-quick Bautista, the 2003 Finals MVP, had a near triple double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

They’ll be up against the versatile duo of Gabby Espinas and Rob Sanz, the 2004 rookie MVP and finals MVP, respectively.

Espinas was spectacular in PCU’s 76-53 execution of Mapua in the Final Four by dishing out 19 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.