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| Jacob Cortez jumps to the LED board to celebrate San Beda's NCAA championship with their fans. NCAA |
MANILA--When the NCAA prohibited teams from recruiting foreign student-athletes upon the league's resumption following the COVID-19 pandemic last year, many were wondering if San Beda would still win it all despite now needing to play all-Filipino from there on.
On Sunday, in front of 23,077 fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the Red Lions proved the doubters wrong.
San Beda showed that they can still be NCAA men's basketball champions even without a foreign reinforcement after stomping Mapua, 76-66, in Game 3 of the finals.
Yukien Andrada played the game of his life, scoring 18 of his 20 points in the second half just when the Cardinals were once again knocking on the doors of their first title in 32 years.
Andrada kept the Red Lions afloat despite the Cardinals slowly climbing back from a nine-point deficit after the first quarter and took a 57-53 lead at the end of the fourth quarter, all the more when Jacob Cortez went down on cramps midway through the third.
Andrada then led San Beda's fourth-quarter dominance where they outscored Mapua, 23-9, to steal the championship.
Andrada also had six rebounds and two steals for the Red Lions, who won their 23rd championship overall.
James Payosing, who was later named the Finals MVP, added 11 points, 14 rebounds, and two steals off the bench.
JC Recto paced the Cardinals, whose title drought now extends to 33 years, with 18 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists.
The scores:
San Beda 76-Andrada 20, Payosing 11, Gonzales 10, Cortez 8, Royo 6, Jopia 6, Tagle 4, Alfaro 4, Puno 3, Visser 2, Cuntapay 2
Mapua 66-Recto 18, Escamis 13, Rosillo 10, Hernandez 6, Cuenco 5, Dalisay 5, Bonifacio 4, Soriano 3, Fornis 2, Bancale 0, Sabsalon 0
Quarterscores: 24-15; 36-35; 53-57; 76-66
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