By Jerome Lagunzad
Game Tomorrow
(Smart-Araneta Coliseum)
3:30 p.m. – San Beda vs Lyceum (Srs)
Lyceum’s sleek run-and-gun offense against San Beda’s vaunted defensive pressure.
The protagonists in this year’s NCAA seniors basketball finals offer contrasting styles, with most experts and aficionados expecting nothing less than a classic duel that’s tipped to go the full-three game distance.
The Pirates, making their first-ever finals appearance since they joined the league in 2009, looked every inch an unstoppable force in the 18-game elimination round that saw them wield the big broom to earn an outright finals berth.
Much of Lyceum’s newfound success can be attributed to the way the Pirates have been scoring at will, coming up with a league-best 90.6 points per game anchored by their own kind of defensive pressure.
The Intramuros-based cagers, led by prolific wingman CJ Perez and a slew of relentless guards, are coming up with at least seven steals per match while forcing at least 24.6 turnovers against their rivals, often leading to easy lay-ups and uncontested jumpers.
The Red Lions, foiled by the Pirates twice in the elimination round, have punched their ticket to the titular showdown for the 12th straight year behind a proven formula implemented by two-time NCAA champion coach Boyet Fernandez.
San Beda, the reigning titlist, continues to be a rock-solid unit on the defensive end, allowing just 65.8 points – a league-best – while making life difficult for its opponents from the field underscored by a league-best 35.9 percent.
The Red Lions showed how lethal their defense could be last Tuesday when they held host San Sebastian Stags to just 11 points in the opening frame and in several scoring droughts late for a methodical 76-71 victory in their knockout battle.
San Beda, the league’s traditional powerhouse, could always rely on its “Big 3” of Robert Bolick, Javee Mocon and Cameroonian Donald Tankoua. How the Red Lions’ shocktroopers, including pro-bound Davon Potts and last year’s Finals MVP Arnaud Noah, can deliver on a consistent basis remains as their biggest challenge.
In contrast, the Pirates’ bench mob, led by the Marcelino twins – Jaycee and Jayvee – plus steady veterans Reymar Caduyac, Wilson Baltazar, Spencer Pretta, among others, have been doing enough to ease the load off Perez, Cameroonian Mike Nzeusseu and MJ Ayaay.
