Red Lions reach finals vs Cardinals

MANILA, Philippines — The mighty San Beda basketball machine is back in a familiar place where it gets a chance to do what it has done multiple times – win NCAA championships.

Owners of a league-best 22 senior cage crowns, the proud, fearsome Lions devoured the Lyceum Pirates for the second time in the NCAA Season 99 Final Four with an astounding 82-72 win yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum to book the last slot to the finals.

There, the Benedictine school will try to extend its giant-slaying ways against the top-seeded Mapua in a best-of-three title showdown unfolding on Wednesday at the MOA Arena.

“Our goal every game in the NCAA is to go for a championship. And now we’re one step closer,” said San Beda coach Yuri Escueta, in his first NCAA championship as a coach since taking the reins two years ago.

And the Lions did it by relying on unusual scoring sources – the troika of James Payosing, Jomel Puno and Nygel Gonzales.

With their top scorer Jacob Cortez shackled and limited to just seven points by Enoch Valdez and the marauding Pirates defense, Payosing, Puno and Gonzales took advantage, cashed in on their chances and finished with 18, 15 and 11 points, respectively.

“They were staying home with Jacob. Luckily they left some of our guys open and those guys were ready to shoot,” said Escueta. “We made our shots, we played defense.”

Valdez tried to will his team to victory and finished with 28 points while practically shutting down Cortez, who came off a 28-point juggernaut in an 89-68 rout of the Pirates last Tuesday.