Lions complete sweep, NCAA champs anew

The San Beda Red Lions fulfilled their date with destiny as they completed a sweep of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA) men's basketball season to be crowned champions anew last Friday.

In front of a huge crowd of 13,000-plus at the historic Araneta Coliseum, the Lions roared their way back to the top of the NCAA, disposing off erstwhile champions San Sebastian Golden Stags, 85-70, in Game Two of their best-of-five finals series.

Needing to win just two games after gaining a direct pass to the finals, and an automatic a 1-0 edge, following their sweep of the elimination round, the Lions did not waste time and finished the job as "prescribed."

The victory thrust the Lions into the history books as they became one of the very few teams in the whole of local collegiate hoops who have finished an entire season spotless. Eighteen times they were challenged, 18 times the Mendiola-based dribblers emerged on top.

As was the case for much of Season 86 of the NCAA, it was another master class that San Beda conducted in Game Two over San Sebastian. The Stags as expected played with a sense of desperation and were physical in their attack but the Lions were not to be denied as the latter remained focused and absorbed everything the Stags threw at them.

League most valuable player Sudan Daniel led the San Beda charge in the title-clinching game, finishing with monster numbers of 24 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks. The American Daniel, who took over the pivot reins from multititled San Beda Nigerian center Sam Ekwe last year, was a force on both ends of the court to which San Sebastian had no answer for. He wound up with championship averages of 19.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and three blocks en route to being voted finals MVP.

King Lion and Philippine Basketball Association-bound Borgie Hermida, who led his team in their 93-73 Game One rout of the Stags on Oct. 13, finished his San Beda career with 10 points, four rebounds and five assists. Hermida spent 16 years with San Beda as student and athlete and will be leaving as one of the winningest players in Lions history. Incidentally, Hermida was also named to the Mythical Team in his final year, along with teammates Daniel and Garvo Lanete, San Sebastian's Calvin Abueva and Arellano's Adrian Celada, in ceremonies held prior to the start of Game Two.

Lanete finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists for San Beda.

Jonathan Semira, meanwhile, led the way with 13 points for the runners-up Stags, who are set to lose coach Ato Agustin next season as he will be taking the coaching duties in San Miguel in the PBA.

Main man Abueva had a hard time in their last game of the season as he was limited to just eight points and six rebounds aside from being called for an unsportsmanlike foul on Daniel in the early part of the game.

This latest championship of San Beda is the fourth seniors title in the last five years for the team, and 15th overall, making it the second winningest school in tournament history. Letran still has the most titles with 16 under its belt. The Lions' sweep was the first to be fashioned out in the last 16 years. The last team to accomplish such a rare feat was San Sebastian.