Published December 3, 2022 9:35pm
Updated December 4, 2022 2:45pm
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and Colegio de San Juan de Letran, each desperate to rewrite their respective colleges’ historical past, will lastly start their NCAA Season 98 males’s basketball title showdown on Sunday.
After virtually per week’s relaxation, high seed Benilde and three-peat looking for Letran return to the hardcourt and collide in Game 1 of their best-of-three finals collection at 3 p.m. on the Araneta Coliseum.
Benilde has but to win a single sport in opposition to reigning back-to-back champion Letran this season.
The Knights pulled off an 81-75 victory in opposition to the Blazers on September 23, handing the Taft crew its first style of defeat after a 3-0 begin to the season. The Muralla crew repeated over Benilde on November 5, eking out a 74-66 win to say the highest spot momentarily.
Benilde, although, was capable of end atop the ladder on the conclusion of the elimination spherical by advantage of Letran’s loss to Jose Rizal University in its final project earlier than the Final Four.
Still, the Knights aren’t about to take the Blazers frivolously, particularly with Benilde greater than keen to finish a 22-year title drought.
Letran can also be capturing for a championship three-peat, which has been uncommon for the college regardless of being the second winningest group within the seniors degree. Of Letran’s 19 titles to this point, an incidence of three straight titles got here solely as soon as, when the Knights dominated in 1982 by means of 1984.
“Syempre masaya and thank you, Lord, na we’re given a chance to play sa Finals again. Kami naman, we take our game day-by-day and we’re not thinking sa mga sweep,” Letran head coach Bonnie Tan mentioned.
“Basta kami, kung ano ‘yung binigay sa amin, ayun lang and we’re happy na at least nakatungtong ulit kami sa Finals.”
The Blazers are additionally within the hunt for historical past.
Benilde final received a title in 2000 behind the likes of Sunday Salvacion, Jondan Salvador, and Al Magpayo.
And with a brand new breed of Blazers within the type of Will Gozum, Migs Oczon, Miggy Corteza, JC Cullar, and Robi Nayve, to call a number of, Benilde is tipped to go all out to convey again the crown to Taft after 22 lengthy years.
Head coach Charles Tiu shared that in comparison with their Season 97 marketing campaign, they’re higher ready this season however he is additionally hoping for his gamers to get even higher as they go in a battle in opposition to a tricky foe.
“Everyone was off for two years and you’re trying to build a system, it’s not easy. But now, we have time to prepare and I told the guys before the game that everything we do, there’s a reason for it,” Tiu mentioned.
“Sometimes things don’t make sense when we get mad or we don’t get mad at them for certain things and we’re trying to form good habits and it’s slowly showing.”
“We’re not there yet and we can still be better. And we have to be better if we want to win the championship.”
Watch the sport stay on GMA and by way of livestream on the social media accounts of NCAA Philippines and GMA Sports PH.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
