Red Cubs' journey to rule 87th NCAA jrs basketball tournament

Nobody said it was going to be easy. Even former San Beda Red Cubs head coach Ato Badolato, as told by Fr. Abbott Ed Africa, OSB, said that the team would be lucky if they reach the Final Four. Everybody thought so too. After clinching back-to-back titles in seasons 85 and 86, winning another one this year seems like an over achievement. Why? Because highly touted point guard Baser Amer graduated and so did eight other prized players like Ponso Gotladera and Chris Javier. Sweet sweep Then after a seemingly easy 18-0 sweep of the elimination round, where the Red Cubs won with a 20-point average winning margin, doubters turned into believers, and believers turned into die-hards. Britt Reroma, the Red Cubs' sophomore head coach, couldn't believe their hard work paid off big time. He recalled how much of a struggle it was building this team and not having huge talents like the ones from last year which is why this sweep came as a surprise. Finals MVP Francis Abarcar took it upon himself to fill in the shoes left by Amer. He said it was not easy but he was determined to get the team together, six of them hold overs and the rest coming from Team B. "We hardly know each other, we are not that close but we worked hard to understand each other so we are one tema until the end," said Abarcar. And looking at the stats, everybody had their fair share of contributions. Team work seems to be the key. When Goliath falls down... The Red Cubs' Game One loss turned out to be a blessing in disguise. "That game woke us up. Even the entire Bedan community helped. It brought us back down to earth." Fr. Africa said the Red Cubs succumbed to tremendous pressure in Game One with six of the players being hospitalized and were only released just 46 hours before Game Two. San Beda also emerged victorious during the off season. They ruled the Palarong Pambansa in Dipolog City and represented the country in the ASEAN Youth Games where they won the gold. They prepared so much even before thinking about reaching this point—the finals. That is why they knew there was no turning back, it was either they put up or shut up- but the Lion's Den won't be silenced. One step at a time Winning a game when they only had a season-low six assists wasn't the best finals game a coach could ever hope for but a win is a win; Reroma and the Red Cubs will take it any day. "Game Two was the turning point of this title series. We didn't play well but my boys showed their fighting spirit and the Bedan's lion heart." Reroma and his coaching staff knew what they had to work on—execution of plays and ball pressure. They slept that night, one eye shut and the other open. No more Game Four The Red Cubs had their eyes on the prize since Day 1 and never lost their focus even when sickness hounded the team. Reroma commended center Giboy Babilonia, who started the day not feeling well but still grabbed rebounds and manned the shaded lane. He, however, did not name any stand out player in his team since he believes all of them are superstars. Reroma said his players know each of their roles. Some are team players, individuals who do the intangibles, spark plugs of the squad and guys who deliver every time they're picked out from the bench. Another chapter in history The Red Cubs dedicated their win to the whole San Beda community. The team said that the Bedan's support was their source of inspiration to get back up and defend their title. The Red Cubs' third straight championship is special since this is Reroma's second consecutive since taking over Badolato's job in 2010. "We encountered a lot of things. Though we swept the elimination round we also have our downs. A lot of people are expecting that we won't make it to the finals but we did." The Red Cubs closed the season with a their own version of a three-peat. San Beda also had a historic feat winning its 19th overall title in the juniors division, overtaking Mapua's previous record of 18. And if this still doesn't impress you: eight members of San Beda's champion team graduated last year, Reroma was left with six players of that title-winning squad, no superstars to lead the Red Cubs resulting to one amazing NCAA Juniors basketball crown. At this point, Fr. Africa said that they most definitely silenced doubters. But on hindsight, they take everything seriously when it comes to their craft. This early, Reroma is trying to figure out how to defend their title again minus 12 graduating players and only three holdovers for next season. The answer to that question will be known in Season 88. But for now, the Red Cubs will put their trophy beside the Red Lions' and they will be sleeping with both eyes closed. — RAF/JVP, GMA News