Destiny vs Dynasty: Rematch of Season 85's Finalists

San Beda and San Sebastian clash today at the start of their showdown for the NCAA men’s basketball crown at the Araneta Coliseum with the former three-peat champion Red Lions hoping to regain old glory and Stags aiming for a back-to-back crown.

Unlike last year when odds were pretty even, this season would be different as San Beda boasts of a 1-0 (win-loss) edge in their best-of-five title showdown, an advantage it gained for completing a historic 16-game sweep of the double-round elimination.

San Beda coach Frankie Lim said though their unprecedented sweep, the league first since San Sebastian did the trick 13 seasons ago in 12 games, would be meaningless if they couldn’t bring home the championship.

“The sweep would be nothing if we couldn’t win it all,” said Lim in yesterday’s weekly PSA Forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue. “It will not be easy though because they have championship experience but we’ve learned our lesson last year.”

The Lions are also looking to set more records as they are hoping to end the season with an 18-game sweep, the longest streak league history in recent years.

“I would be a hypocrite if I say we don’t want a sweep. But it would all depend in Game One because we would have an 80-percent chance in the series if we win Game One,” said Lim.

While San Beda made it to the finals outright, San Sebastian needed to overcame a gritty challenge put up by Jose Rizal in pulling off a 61-52 victory in the final duel of the stepladder phase to catch the last championship bus.

Preceding the seniors’ champions at 4 p.m. is the 2 p.m. juniors’ title showdown between San Beda and San Sebastian.

The league will also feat the league’s best individual performers including the Most Valuable Player, which would be a toss-up between San Beda’s American behemoth Sudan Daniel and San Sebastian’s energetic forward Calvin Abueva.

San Sebastian is looking to extend the tradition of winning over San Beda in last three finals meeting as the former won last year and 1996 and 1997.

“If we could play with a big heart and show our championship experience, we’ll have a strong chance of winning,” said San Sebastian coach Ato Agustin, who is coaching his last season as he is set to assume the head coaching job at San Miguel in the PBA.

The Lions are shooting for their 15th crown overall as they try to inch closer to Letran, which owns a league-best 16 titles. San Sebastian, for its part, are gunning for their 13th championship.

In their two meetings this year, the Lions downed the Stags, 88-76, last Aug. 18 and, 90-82, last Sept. 29 as part of the sweet sweep.

Lim knows too well that they can’t take San Sebastian for granted because of last year’s experience when they also beat the Stags twice in three games only to get swept in the finals.

“They’re not the defending champions for nothing so we know nothing would be easy,” said Lim.

NCAA.org