Another classic college basketball game will unfold on November 11, as two of the winningest members of the country’s oldest collegiate basketball league will face off for the 2nd straight season in a championship series.
The San Beda Red Lions will go for a team best 4th straight NCAA title while the Letran Knights will attempt to dethrone the defending champs as they meet for the 3rd time since Season 83.
The Red Lions ended the elimination round with a 15-3 record while Letran ended their regular schedule campaign with a 14-4 mark.
Prior to their 74-67, August 24, 2013 1st round conquest of San Beda, it was on July 25, 2007 against an RJ Jazul, Rey Guevarra and coach Louie Alas led squad.
In their 1st game of Season 89, Raymond Almazan top scored for the league’s No. 1 offensive Team with 22-points, including 2 of 3 from the 3-pt range, 11 rebounds and 3 blocked shots while Reneford Ruaya chipped in for 15 points.
Ola Adeogun led the Red Lions with 27 points and 15 rebounds with Baser Amer contributing for 15 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. Although the Red Lions out -rebounded the Knights, 52-41, San Beda committed more turnovers 19-10virtually translating those mental lapses into 21 turnover points for the Knights.
In the their 2nd encounter, San Beda had to use the extra period to thwart the indefatigable Knights relying solely with a solid game from Adeogun who had 26 points and 26 rebounds with 3 blocked shots. Rome Dela Rosa and Amer had 13 points and 12 points respectively for the Red Lions while out -rebounding Letran, 62-47.
The Knights are at their best when they face the Red Lions. I have to emphasize that this team is genuinely veteran. Guys like Jonathan Belorio, Raymund Almazan, Jamil Gabawan, Kevin Racal, Mark Cruz, and even McJour Luib have tasted life at the postseason while new arrivals Ruaya, John Tambeling and Rey Nambatac are catching on and learning on the fly. This team has been together a long time, and would want to make the most of it especially once Almazan officially turns pro after this season. Don’t be deceived. The Knights have a lethal starting five with a reliable crew of relievers ready to show their worth.
Next to Perpetual Help and Lyceum, Letran is the next volume shooter from the 3-point area with a total 367 shots in the elimination round and a conversion rate of 26%. In both games against the Red Lions, that number jumped to 33%. Racal, Cruz, Nambatac, Tambeling and on some occasions, their bigs, Belorio and Almazan can hit the three ball.
The Knights are deadly from deep as witnessed against their Final Four match with the Golden Stags when they hoisted 30 attempts from that area which was more than what they had in each outing against San Beda, and made 10. There is no off switch from beyond the arc if they want to win this series. Their command of the perimeter will create more space in the shaded area for their guards to operate, create opportunities for their teammates, disrupt San Beda’s defensive rotation, penetrate the seams while their bigs take care of those 2nd chance opportunities.
In both games, the Knights have the advantage when playing above the 70+ range but had trouble limiting their opponents below 69 points except in their last game when they held the Golden Stags at the 58 point mark. They have to improve defensively and do it consistently if they want to stop a bigger, tougher opponent like San Beda.
The Red Lions have been inconsistent all year offensively. It took 2 1/2 quarters and two threes from Roldan Sara to wake them up en route to their semis win against the Altas.
Losing to Lyceum in the 1st round then to lowly Mapua and a close call against the Golden Stags, are signs of in dire need of a caffeine boost, but they have survived from their spotty production all season mainly on the defense end.
The scary part for the opponent is that we haven’t seen their best game. It’s tough to pinpoint their A-game and this trip to the finals for the 8th straight year might just provide the springboard for better things to come, besides, San Beda has never accomplished four -in -a-row and that poses another motivation to finally come out of their shell at the biggest show of the season.
The Red Lions are the best defensive team in the league, limiting their opponents to just 63 points.
Letran had the better rebounding stat during the elimination round, 47-37, but San Beda managed to out -muscle their finals counterpart in both encounters, 114-88, especially on the offensive glass, 38-26.
On offense, this team can rely on Adeogun, Dela Cruz and Amer for double-digit scoring numbers, while Rome Dela Rosa provides the little things. The rest are sporadic but are still dangerous and can erupt at any time.
The Red Lions has one of the deepest bench in college basketball teeming with size and skill. Coming off the bench are Kyle Pascual, David Semerad, JP Mendoza, Anthony Semerad, Francis Abarcar, and Ivan Ludovice, that can shine at a moments notice. In their Final Four series, they limited Perpetual Help to a meager 51 points, far away from their elimination round output of 71.
Offense versus Defense. Both have experience but depth is on San Beda’s side.
The Result, San Beda in 2. JMP
No comments:
Post a Comment