By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The San Beda Red Lions showed that they had more gas left in the tank after edging the Mapua Cardinals in overtime, 76-69, in the ongoing NCAA Season 100 Men’s Basketball Tournament on October 8, 2024, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
After going down by as much as 13 points in the second quarter, the Red Lions completed a thrilling comeback in the third canto when they displayed a defensive clinic to neutralize Mapua’s pick-and-roll game.
The game then shifted to a nip-and-tuck affair as both squads traded baskets in the final 10 minutes of last year’s NCAA Season 99 grand finals series.
Mapua looked to be in control in the final two minutes of the ball game and even held a two-point advantage in the final 10 seconds but San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta drew up a beautiful play that knotted the showdown at 66-all.
Escueta designed a fake hand-off play between Penny Estacio and James Payosing that confused the defensive set by the Cardinals.
As a result, Estacio had a wide-open layup that forced the extra five minutes of action. Mapua replicated its blitzing start in overtime and notched a slim cushion but heroics from team captain Yukien Andrada spoiled the Cardinals’ expectations after scoring the most crucial five points in the extension period.
With San Beda trailing by a point, 68-69, in the remaining 2:19 in OT, Andrada splashed in a three-pointer that gave the Red Lions back the lead, 71-69.
Andrada’s OT rampage didn’t end there as the stretch center closed the curtains on Mapua when he drained a fadeaway jumper from the right elbow that steered them to a four-point advantage, 73-69.
Mapua had several chances to score the leather but San Beda’s length in the perimeter was enough to bother every shot they hoisted from the rainbow country.
Andrada stepped up when the Red Lions needed him the most and stuffed the stat sheets with 18 points, nine rebounds, two steals, and an assist.
Meanwhile, Payosing, who spearheaded San Beda’s third-quarter comeback, backstopped Andrada with 15 markers, seven boards, one dime, and a steal.
“You have to give it to our boys for playing defense until the end, even during the overtime. Sabi ko nga eh, we might be struggling offensively and losing games in the first round, but throughout the first round, the only thing that has been saving us was our defense,” said San Beda head coach Escueta after the tightly contested OT win.
