There will be a new NCAA juniors basketball champion.
On Friday afternoon at the Filoil EcoOil Centre, the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA and La Salle Green Hills, the high school team of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, will commence its best-of-three affair for the right to become the juniors basketball champions of NCAA's centennial season.
Both schools, however, are not new in the finals stage.
Back in Season 98, Benilde-LSGH was in the championship round against eventual champion Colegio de San Juan de Letran. The Greenies then had the likes of Luis Pablo and Seven Gagate to lead the Mandaluyong-based squad with head coach Renren Ritualo at the helm.
Eventually, the Squires won the trophy for that season and would repeat it again the following year.
In Season 99, it was the Perpetual Junior Altas, led by Amiel Acido and Mark Gojo Cruz under then rookie head coach Joph Cleopas, who earned the right to face off against the Squires.
Some of the holdovers from that Season 99 squad are still playing with Perpetual such as Most Valuable Player contender Lebron Jhames Daep and his teammates JD Pagulayan and Jan Roluna.
For the Junior Altas, having a lot of role players in the team will be one of their advantages.
"Actually, this team is not built for one player only. I told the boys na don’t worry if mapagod. You’re not scoring, it’s okay and just play defense," Cleopas previously told GMA News Online.
"We should have strength in numbers. We don’t rely individually, we’re not a team if we’re like that kaya lagi kong nire-remind sa kanila na gano’n. Statistics are nothing, real coaches see your worth as players and how you lead kaya gano’n ‘yung response nila."
Prior to their finals stint, Perpetual ended the elimination round on top of the standings with an 8-1 record before dispatching San Beda University in the Final Four.
Benilde-LSGH, meanwhile, had a harder path to the finals.
The Greenies ended up third with a 6-3 record and had a twice-to-win disadvantage against Letran.
In Game 1 of the Final Four, Ritualo and Benilde-LSGH main man Guillian Quines were also not in the game due to suspensions.
Fortunately, the Mandaluyong-based squad had the likes of Gian Gomez and Arle Podador to the rescue.
The Greenies forced a do-or-die against Letran and eventually clinched a ticket to the finals.
Now, they're coming as underdogs in the series.
"Talagang tinrabaho namin ‘to lahat. Mas gusto naming underdog kami kasi minamaliit talaga kami kahit sa school namin, duda na lahat. Ginawa lang namin ‘yon na motivation," Quines said.
"Inspired talaga kami na kailangan naming matalo ang Letran para ma-prove namin sa school na kaya namin."
While Letran appealed for a review regarding a non-call late in Game 2 of the Final Four against Benilde-LSGH, the NCAA Management Committee said the result of the game will still stand but "measures will be adopted by the NCAA to address points raised," according to ManComm president Hercules Callanta.
Should Perpetual win, this will be their first ever basketball title since joining the NCAA in 1984. If Benilde-LSGH bags the title, this will be their second overall since claiming their first one in 2017.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
