After a long and winding 33-year wait, Mapua University is finally an NCAA champion once again.
On Saturday, the Cardinals fashioned a decisive 94-82 Game 2 victory to turn back De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in their best-of-three finals series to conclude the centennial season of the league with the coveted title at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Right at the start of the second round, Mapua went all the way undefeated to the title for its 12th straight victory, coming out on top of Benilde in three of four of their encounters this season.
Under the guidance of Randy Alcantara, who was still a player in Mapua’s back-to-back title runs in 1990 and 1991, the Cardinals looked primed and unfazed despite trailing the Blazers at 7-0 two minutes into the game.
However, in the last two minutes of the opening period, JC Recto’s layup followed by a pair of free throws would put the game at 21-deadlock, the only time the game will ever be at a stalemate as Mapua would regain the upper hand off Lawrence Mangubat’s buzzer-beating long bomb from the left corner.
From then on, the Cardinals had slammed the comeback door for good and anticipated every move of the Blazers whether it was calculated or spontaneous.
Although Benilde managed to pull itself within two in the third period after a layup from Marc Sangco, it hardly mattered as the Cardinals just continued their onslaught and never looked back.
With last season's Rookie MVP Escamis knocking down a triple off the bench with 4:15 left in the fourth period, it gave Mapua the biggest lead of the match at 82-66.
Cyrus Cuenco made the most of his 31-minute playing time and topscored for Mapua with 19 points highlighted by three three-pointers that went with two rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
Meanwhile, Escamis, who exploded for a career-high 33 points in the semifinal against Lyceum of the Philippines that he followed up with another 30-point eruption in Game 1, posted 18 points this time along with one rebound, four assists, and one steal. He was eventually named as Finals MVP
Rookie Mangubat, for his part, chalked up 17 points, four rebounds, and three assists while Chris Hubilla was equally reliable after flirting with a double-double performance of 15 points and eight rebounds.
The Intramuros-based squad also brushed off newly crowned MVP Allen Liwag’s double-double outing of 14 points and 10 rebounds.
For the second time in three seasons, the Charles Tiu-coached Blazers could not reverse their fate as they wound up as bridesmaids anew. They also finished as runners-up against Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Season 98.
With the series defeat, Benilde’s own 24-year title drought has been extended despite Justine Sanchez's game-high 24 points on top of nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Tont Ynot, who wanted to make his debut count in the Taft-based school after serving his residency last season, had 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal in the losing cause.
Scores:
Mapua 94 – Cuenco 19, Escamis 18, Mangubat 17, Hubilla 15, Recto 9, Igliane 8, Bancale 6, Garcia 2, Concepcion 0, Fermin 0.
Benilde 82 – Sanchez 24, Ynot 17, Liwag 14, Sangco 7, Oli 7, Torres 5, Ancheta 4, Ondoa 2, Eusebio 2, Cometa 0, Cajucom 0.
Quarters: 24-23, 45-37, 66-56, 94-82.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
