Mapua University and San Beda University will go at it for one last time this year when the do-or-die Game 3 of NCAA Season 99 finals unfolds on Sunday at the historic Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Back to square one, both schools chase history with the tip-off slated for 2 p.m. as the Cardinals look to end a 32-year title drought while the Red Lions seek to reclaim lost glory after going title-less for the last three seasons.
Mapua and San Beda split their first two games and the two hungry squads are tipped to go full throttle come the decider.
The Cardinals lived up to the billing by eking out a 68-63 win in the series opener with usual suspects Clint Escamis and Paolo Hernandez leading the way while rookie Peter Rosillo showed up on the big stage by stopping San Beda star Jacob Cortez.
However, the third year Cortez made sure to bounce back, hitting timely triples in the dying minutes to lift the Red Lions in Game 2, 71-65, to force a rubber match and extend their life.
Neither team, though, is expecting an easy job in closing out the series.
“One more week of course, it's Game 3. Same intensity is what we want to bring sa Game 3. It's a do-or-die game. Same lang sa ginawa natin today. Todo na ‘to,” said San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta.
“We've been in this situation before, not just one time but six times ata, five times na atang nangyari sa atin ito. The only thing we did is tell ourselves to stay together and huwag sumuko. Laban hanggang dulo.”
(One more week of course, it's Game 3. Same intensity is what we want to bring in Game 3. It's a do-or-die game. Same as what we did today, we'll give it all.)
Mapua, meanwhile, used the one-week break to its advantage, recovering from the two previous tough games that saw both squads pour their all to the hardcourt.
“Feel ko advantageous siya on how we look at things, siguro ‘yung iba iisipin na mangangalawang pero it’s all in the mindset,” Escamis said.
“Go hard pa rin kami and advantage siya kasi makaka-recover kami and mas makaka-prepare kami.”
(I feel like it's an advantage on how we look at things, perhaps other will see it as becoming rusty, but it's all in the mindset. We'll still go hard and it's an advantage since we can recover and prepare.)
Mapua and San Beda are drawing inspiration from what transpired in 1991—the last time the two schools met in the NCAA Finals stage.
The Cardinals emerged victorious despite the Red Lions also winning the Game 2 as Mapua legend Benny Cheng sank the game-winning putback to deliver the Season 67 finals.
They are looking to repeat history against the same team.
San Beda, meanwhile, recently received a pep talk from its former player Teddy Alamarez, who was the one who missed to box out Cheng that led to the championship-winning basket.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
