FINAL: San Beda defeats Arellano, 83-73 in Game 2 to become #NCAASeason92 Champs! 🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/7QIGME09f0
— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) October 11, 2016
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATED) The San Beda College Red Lions have completed their quest for redemption, and are back as the Kings of the NCAA.
One year after falling short of an unprecedented "six-peat" with a truly heartbreaking loss to archrival Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the Season 91 Finals, San Beda made sure there would not be any doubt as the Red Lions roared back to the top of the heap in Season 92.
San Beda defeated Arellano in Game 1, 88-85, last Thursday, and with their victory on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena, they completed not just a sweep of the Finals, but also underscored their dominance of Arellano throughout the season. The Red Lions beat the Chiefs all five times that they played in Season 92.
"It was a heartbreaking loss last year," Jarin said. "Went to overtime, best-of-three. It took me a year to really get back here, and along the way, I had all these young men. I'm just happy."
Arnaud Noah, who did not a start a game all season and only played major minutes once Donald Tankoua went down to injury, was the star of Game 2, tallying a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, and was a game-high +22. He was later named Finals MVP.
#NCAASeason92 Finals MVP: Arnaud Noah! pic.twitter.com/xVP6lx5Fxk
— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) October 11, 2016
AC Soberano fired 16 points, making four three-pointers, while Robert Bolick added 13 points and five rebounds to complete his own quest of redemption following a transfer from De La Salle University to San Beda.
Javee Mocon and Davon Potts had 10 points each, and came up big in the fourth quarter.
"Like what we said the entire season, this team was built to be selfless," said Jarin, who true to form played all but two of his players in the line-up. "For me, it's always been my trademark – you use all your players, you give them the exposure, and after the season, you make a bond that will last forever."
"This one is for the books," he added. "The 15 young men – sila ang bida dito. They're the ones who worked, they're the ones who played, and they're the ones who won."
It was far from a comfortable victory for the Red Lions, however, as they were pushed to the limit by Jiovani Jalalon and the Chiefs. The game was a back-and-forth battle especially in the final quarter, with the lead exchanging hands four times.
Jalalon, despite being tagged with three fouls in the first half, remained as aggressive as ever and carved up the San Beda defense in the third quarter with his spectacular passing. His assists to Julius Cadavis inside the paint and to Zach Nichols in the perimeter allowed Arellano to rally from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter, and they entered the final frame down by just three points, 60-63.
A triple by Nichols with 9:44 to go tied the game at 63, and Jalalon drained a three-pointer of his own to make it a 66-63 lead for Arellano with 8:03 left.
Potts = 🔥
— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) October 11, 2016
Jalalon = 🔥
Soberano = 🔥#NCAASeason92 pic.twitter.com/37XhaMjG9c
Jalalon answered with his third three-pointer of the game to make it 71-69 for Arellano, but Soberano – the league's reigning three-point king – canned a triple from the left corner to snatch the lead back for the Lions, 72-71.
Arellano blew an opportunity to take back the lead when Kent Salado, who struggled offensively all game, bricked two free throws, but he quickly made up for his error by stealing the ball off Potts for the breakaway lay-up that handed the Chiefs a 73-72 advantage with just 3:07 left.
It turned out to be the last time that Arellano would get on the board, however, as Noah – who went toe-to-toe with Jalalon in the third – took over. His three-point play with 2:20 left gave San Beda the lead for good, 75-73, and after they forced Jalalon into a turnover, he drove baseline and passed off to Potts for the dagger triple that made it 78-73 with 1:48 left.
DAVON. POTTS.#NCAASeason92 pic.twitter.com/bMothUMMug
— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) October 11, 2016
"In a situation like that, naturuan mo na 'yung mga players mo," Jarin said of the back-and-forth fourth quarter. "It's just the composure, it's just adopting the system."
Arellano still had their chances, but Salado bricked a lay-up, Donald Gumaru misfired on a three-pointer, and Jalalon fouled out with 35.3 seconds left as the Red Lions iced the game from the line with Potts and Mocon proving clutch in the final seconds.
San Beda wound up holding Arellano scoreless in the final 3:07 of the contest.
The Chiefs have now lost all four final games that they have played. They were also swept by San Beda in the Season 90 Finals.
Jalalon finished with 19 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds, but Salado struggled with only four points, five rebounds, and three assists.
Allen Enriquez (14 points) and Nichols (12) were the only other Arellano players in double-digits as the Chiefs made only 32.94% of their shots and made only nine of a whopping 39 attempts from beyond the arc.
San Beda shot a shade better -- at 40.30% -- but made 12 of their 21 attempts from three-point country – four of which came in the final quarter wherein they outscored Arellano 20-13 to finally take control.
Yet Jarin was quick to praise the Chiefs after the game, and especially commended the pair of Jalalon and Salado.
"Let's all give a round of applause to Coach Jerry Codinera and his staff, to the Arellano team. It's just sad that only one team will be crowned champions. To Arellano, headed by Mr. Jiovani Jalalon and Kent Salado – you are the best guards in college, hat's off to you. Congratulations pa rin," he said after the game.
The scores:
SBC 83 – Noah 18, Soberano 16, Bolick 13, Mocon 10, Potts 10, Sara 7, Presbitero 5, Adamso 2, Bonsubre 2, Tongco 0, Oftana 0, Carlos 0, Alas 0.
AU 73 – Jalalon 19, Enriquez 14, Nichols 12, Canete 8, Gumaru 6, Meca 5, Salado 4, Cadavis 4, Flores 1, Holts 0, Viloria 0, Aguilar 0.
Quarter-scores: 18-25, 45-40, 63-60, 83-73
(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)
0 comments :
Post a Comment