The San Beda University Red Lions sizzled with their outside shooting in the last five minutes and kept their hopes alive of becoming champions again the National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.
Jacob Cortez fired 21 points for the Red Lions, who romped to a 71-65 stopping of the Mapua Cardinals in Game 2 on Sunday to level their best-of-three finals’ affair at 1-all in the 99th NCAA Finals at the Mall of Asia Arena.
A record crowd of 22,465 watched the game, including a Mapua crowd that fell silent after Cortez struck with two of three triples in the last 2:16, with Yukien Andrada.
This highlighted an 11-2 blast that allowed the Red Lions to overtake the Cardinals, whose lead of 61-59 vanished as the triples pushed San Beda in front with a 70-63 edge.
“Hindi pa kami makakapagbakasyon. One more win,” said Red Lions’ coach Yuri Escueta after they denied the Cardinals a two-game sweep and an outright claim of their first crown in 32 years.
Cortez, playing above his average of 15.43 points, scored his first trey with 4:28 left, allowing the Red Lions to move ahead of the Cardinals for the fourth and last time.
His teammates Jomel Puno and Andrada knocked in nine points apiece for the Red Lions, who will have a winner-take-all title clash with the Cardinals on Sunday.
Season MVP Clint Escamis showed the way with 15 points for the Cardinals, but he was limited to just three points in the final period.
The Cardinals made just two of 13 three-point attempts in the final period, with Escamis bungling six of seven attempts.
JC Recto added 14 points for the Cardinals, while Paolo Hernandez made 13.
Earlier, the College of St. Benilde Blazers struck hard in the third quarter to earn third place with a 93-83 triumph over Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates.
Robi Nayve and Miguel Corteza, one of four graduating players, banged in 18 and 14 points, respectively, while Josh Cajucom shot 15 for the Blazers, who became the first to receive the league’s third-place trophy in senior basketball.
“We’ll take it, we would have been fourth under normal circumstances,” said CSB coach Charles Tiu.
The Scores
San Beda 71- Cortez 21, Puno 9, Andrada 9, Jopia 8, Alfaro 7, Royo 6, Cuntapay 5, Payosing 4, Tagle 2, Gonzales 0, Visser 0.
Mapua 65- Escamis 15, Recto 14, Hernandez 13, Soriano 10, Cuenco 5, Rosillo 5, Bonifacio 3, Asuncion 0, Dalisay 0, Bancale 0.
Quarter Scores: 20-19, 42-30, 48-53, 71-65.