MANILA, Philippines – If the Mapua Cardinals were not ripe for the occasion then, Clint Escamis thinks they are now.
Learning the hard way after their failed title bid last year, Escamis and the Cardinals get another crack at the crown as they face the St. Benilde Blazers in the best-of-three NCAA Season 100 finals starting on Sunday, December 1.
Mapua reached the finals for the second straight year, with hopes of getting the job done as it fell short of the Season 99 championship, losing to the San Beda Red Lions.
“I now know how to shut off the outside noise and how to handle the pressure of playing in the finals, because the pressure is different,” said Escamis in a mix of Filipino and English.
“Even though I’m a veteran in college, the finals are different. Maturity is something I can instill in myself and in my teammates.”
Season 99 had looked like the year the Cardinals were supposed to end a decades-long drought since the school won its last championship in Season 67 in 1991.
After all, Escamis won season MVP in his return to the NCAA after a one-and-done stint with the UE Red Warriors in the UAAP, leading Mapua to the top seed, and eventually, the finals.
The Cardinals even drew first blood against the Red Lions in the title series, but Escamis and Mapua fizzled out, losing fourth-quarter leads in both Games 2 and 3 as they saw San Beda capture a record-extending 23rd crown.
After licking their wounds, though, it did not take long for the Cardinals to reassert their dominance.
Once again led by Escamis, Mapua topped the eliminations of Season 100 with a 15-3 record highlighted by a sweep of the second round.
The Cardinals then booked a return trip to the finals by holding off fourth seed Lyceum Pirates in an 89-79 win where Escamis fired a career-high 33 points.
“I think 33 years is enough for the drought. We’ve been to the finals a couple of times for the last decade, we need to win now. This is our time,” said Escamis.
Standing in the way of Mapua are the second-seeded Blazers as the two schools face off for the championship for the first time in NCAA history.
Game 1 is set at the Araneta Coliseum. – Rappler.com
