Red Lion Kings

Friday’s blockbuster of a game placed an emphatic exclamation point on the 82nd NCAA season. More than fifteen thousand fans flooded through the turnstiles at the Araneta Coliseum in the hope of witnessing history in the making. They were not disappointed.

The last time San Beda College won a championship was the second of their back-to-back title run in 1977-78. In 1977, they defeated Ateneo de Manila by one point in a closed-door thriller at the Araneta Coliseum. In 1978, with team captain Joel de Guzman and his twin brother Noel, Chito Loyzaga, JB Yango and Frankie Lim, coach Bonnie Carbonell (now an assistant coach of Koy Banal), clinched the Red Lions’ last seniors title.

Since then, it has been a romp for the Red Cubs, who have won more than half the NCAA junior titles at stake in the interim. But their players have always been wooed by other colleges, leaving San Beda with no continuity.

Last season, San Beda and then head coach Nash Racela made sure that it would keep the core of its stellar junior squad. Borgie Hermida (arguably the best high school guard in the country last season), adidas Asian Streetball Most Valuable Player Riego Gamalinda, Jay-R Taganas and JR Tecson were all secured to play for San Beda in their collegiate careers, to complement veterans Alex Angeles and Yousif Aljamal. Then, a 6’8" Nigerian named Sam Ekwe, who wanted to become a priest, enrolled.

The numbers started piling up, as did the wins. In the 14-game elimination round, San Beda’s only loss came at the hands of Philippine Christian University. The Dolphins had been under the radar all season long, thanks to the focus on Beda and the defending champion Letran Knights, who were overachieving despite losing six players and almost their entire frontline to graduation.

Still, coming into the finals, though the anticipation was high, apprehensions were still there. How can a team fly so high and not fall, given their youth? Starters Ekwe and Escobal were rookies and Ogie Menor was a sophomore, and nobody on the team had ever been to the finals before.

There were some scary moments, too. In the second period of their last elimination game — against Letran — the Red Lions were held to only two points on a jumper by reserve center Raymond Maggay with 34 seconds remaining. Was pressure starting to get to them?

It didn’t seem to show in Game One of the championship series. San Beda got off to a decent start, and managed to hold off PCU (which was playing in its third championship series in as many years). The Red Lions scored 16 unanswered points to start the second half. Escobal lit it up with eight of his 19 points in the final period to seal the 71-57 win.

In Game Two, a full three-fourths of Araneta was packed with red-clad alumni and supporters, eager to watch the drought end. But Gabby Espinas and Jason Castro lit a fire under the Dolphins to get them off to a 21-10 first period. By halftime, the lead was twenty. Aljamal and Escobal combined for a measly 5 points for the game. Destiny would have to take a raincheck.

A lavish ceremony opened Game Three. The Big Dome was darkened, with spotlights blazing through the crowd. The fans were pumped up as the teams were introduced, and ABS-CBN had exciting primers produced for each team highlighting the tremendous support they had garnered from their school communities.

Both teams had settled down after all the hype, and got off to fluid starts. PCU center Beau Belga chipped in nine points in the first period, and the Dolphins were up by four. Then San Beda’s leaders stepped forward. Aljamal and Escobal combined for 15 points, while team captain Alex Angeles had two triples, including one from beyond 30 feet to beat the halftime buzzer, putting them up by six.

In the third quarter, PCU’s offense was dissipated, and Aljamal played like a man possessed, filling it up with 11 of his 23 points. At the start of the fourth quarter, Escobal hit a three-pointer to put them up 64-44. Some San Beda fans were celebrating early.

Bad move.

Jason Castro went on a tear, driving in 14 of his 25 points in the next few minutes. San Beda could only manage four free throws the rest of the way, and saw their lead evaporate to only one point. Still they had possession with 24.8 seconds left.

Then they threw the ball away. PCU had the last shot, the shot that could win the title, in their hands.

The play was for Castro to get the ball back and create. But with five seconds remaining, Belga took an unexpected long jumper, hitting the front of the rim. The ball dropped straight down into the hands of Yousif Aljamal. Game over. San Beda wins its first NCAA seniors title in 28 years.

Grown men, young and old alike, wept openly and unashamedly: government officials, international athletes, businessmen, celebrities, Bedans all. Many told stories of how young they were when they last witnessed their school bring home the trophy. Others thanked Koy Banal, who offered profuse praise to God.

What is scary is that the team will be virtually intact next season, with only Alex Angeles finishing his tour of duty. The other schools have started beefing up for next year, with only one target: the Red Lion Kings.