By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
That’s what reigning Most Valuable Players (MVP) do.
Take over.
Aiming to end the 33-year title drought of the Mapua Cardinals in the NCAA Men’s Collegiate basketball tournament, Clint Escamis just put the school in his back after delivering a game-high 30-point performance in Game 1 of the Season 100 grand finals matchup against the College of Saint Benilde Blazers.
Escamis electrified the thousands in attendance at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on December 1, 2024, and helped the Cardinals move a win away from capturing the golden trophy following an 84-73 victory over Benilde.
The superstar scoring machine showcased his deep offensive bag and stunned the Blazers as early as the first half when he dropped 22 markers during the first 20 minutes of action.
In the opening quarter, Escamis made it rain from the three-point line that set the tone for the hungry Mapua squad who are eager to end their heartbreak after losing on the same grand stage at the hands of the San Beda Red Lions last year.
The Blazer quickly made some adjustments in stopping Escamis’ trey party after deploying a mixed variation of the 1-2-2 zone defense.
However, Escamis proved his scoring versatility by making them pay with several aggressive drives to the basket that broke the zone and helped Mapua maintain their lead.
Benilde had a good start in the third after trimming their deficit to just three points but the Cardinals answered back with a 7-0 run that forced the Blazers head coach Charles Tiu to call a desperation timeout.
With the Blazers not shooting well from the three-point line, the Cardinals continued to push the ball after every defensive rebound to score in spurts.
Heroes were also aplenty for Mapua as the trio of JC Recto, Chris Hubilla, and John Jabonete picked up where he left off and added valuable contributions in the final quarter of the game.
Recto was Mapua’s second-leading scorer with 15 markers while the newly-recruited Hubilla added a near double-double outing of nine points and eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, Jabonete, who went scoreless in the first three quarters, dropped all of his points in the final canto that was badly needed when Benilde threatened to inch close in the final two minutes of the game.
Thanks to Mapua’s shifty guard Lawrence Mangubat, who gave the cold-blooded dagger when he drained a clutch corner jump shot that gave the Cardinals a comfortable 77-67 advantage with only 1:26 remaining in Game 1 of the finals.
On the other hand, the Blazers received a usual double-double outing from their superstar big man Allen Liwag with 18 markers and 14 boards but Tony Ynot, who averaged double figures in scoring during their past three games, was held to just seven points.
The Cardinals will seek to capture their first NCAA title after 33 years on December 7, 2024, when they meet with the Blazers again for Game 2 of the Season 100 grand finals.
