On-fire Escamis resumes NCAA title quest with Cardinals

Games Friday
(Filoil EcoOil Arena)
2 p.m. – EAC vs Letran
4 p.m. – LPU vs Mapua

MANILA, Philippines – By the end of NCAA Season 99, spitfire guard Clint Escamis could end up as the league's Most Valuable Player awardee and his Mapua Cardinals as champions.

But Mapua’s prodigal son knew he and the Cardinals would need to scale a mountain to achieve even just one of the two possibilities.

“Of course, my main goal is to help my team win a championship, the individual awards would just be a bonus,” said 5-11 Escamis, whose team faces off with Lyceum of the Philippines University in Friday’s league resumption at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

Escamis has been having a fairy tale season as he has averaged a 15.09 points — a league best — six rebounds, 4.55 assists (third) and 4.09 steals (1st) while towing Mapua to the top with a 9-2 record.

Escamis should again carry the load against the Pirates, the No. 2 team with an 8-3 mark, in their 4 p.m. showdown that many believed could be a preview to this year’s finals.

The other match pits Emilio Aguinaldo College (6-5) with the once mighty Letran (1-10).

The last time they met, it was Escamis who shone the brightest after he carved the Pirates with a tour-de-force 20-point, nine-board, seven-dime and four-swipe performance that resulted in an 87-83 win last October 14.

Escamis was also coming off a superb 21-point effort in a 69-66 win over the Knights a week ago.

And it wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t returned to the same school he helped win two NCAA juniors championships after a forgettable, injury-riddled stint in the UAAP.

“No regrets, but my heart was always with Mapua,” said Escamis.