Week 1 of NCAA Season 101 was dominated by none other than the reigning Finals MVP, Clint Escamis, and the defending champions, Mapua University, while the San Beda versus Letran rivalry continues.
Clint Escamis Shows Clutch Genes, Puts Cardinals 2-0
Last Saturday, October 4, Clint and the rest of the Cardinals faced Arellano University for the first time this season.
Before the match, Mapua only won by a point in their opening match against Lyceum in the opening day of Season 101.
From the opening tip, Escamis took command offensively, attacking the basket and leading the Cardinals’ scoring charge.
Mapua started strong, but Arellano refused to back down, keeping the contest close through timely baskets from Basti Valencia and Ernjay Geronimo. Despite the Cardinals’ repeated attempts to pull away, the Chiefs stayed within striking distance well into the fourth quarter.
In the final minutes, tension mounted as Valencia drained a clutch triple and followed it with a jumper over Escamis to trim the deficit to four, 80-84. Moments later, Geronimo’s layup cut Mapua’s lead to just two, 82-84, with 1:26 remaining. The Cardinals looked rattled on offense until transferee Cyrus Nitura spotted Paolo Cuenco wide open at the perimeter. Cuenco coolly sank a crucial three-pointer, giving Mapua breathing room at 87-82.
The momentum stayed with the Cardinals when Cuenco engineered another key play, connecting with Yam Concepcion for an alley-oop basket that extended their advantage to 89-85 with only 36 seconds left.
Still, Arellano refused to fold. Joseph Hernal scored on a putback after a missed triple from Maverick Vinoya, bringing the Chiefs within two, 87-89.
In the dying seconds, Cuenco was fouled and made one of two free throws, stretching Mapua’s lead to three. On Arellano’s final possession, Nitura sealed the win with a decisive block on Camay’s potential game-tying three-pointer with five seconds left, preserving the Cardinals’ perfect 2-0 record in Group A.
FINAL SCORE: Arellano 87 – 90 Mapua
Clint ended the game with 29 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.
Destined to do this Forever: San Beda vs Letran
Perhaps the oldest basketball rivalry ever in the Philippines is between the Red Lions of San Beda University and the Knights of Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
And last Sunday, October 5, this century-old rivalry continued to give the fans one of the most elite matchups ever.
Prior to the match, 2 graduating Red Lions were sidelined due to injuries. Yukien Andrada with shoulder strain and RC Calimag with back spasms.
Agjanti Miller of San Beda, though, had an explosive third-quarter performance wherein he fired 8 straight points, broke the game open, and gave the Red Lions full control. Letran simply had no answer for his shot-making and athleticism as he drilled a triple and completed a three-point play to ignite a 10-1 finishing run that put Red Lions ahead 53-45 entering the final quarter.
The Knights, however, showed resilience despite struggling on the field. Mark Omega led a late push that cut the deficit to just four, 62-58, with 1:42 remaining. But San Beda stayed composed as Bismarck Lina calmly sank two free throws to restore order.
Moments later, Miller delivered the dagger on both ends. First rejecting Omega’s layup attempt before converting the stop into a basket on the other side for a comfortable 66-58 cushion. He fittingly punctuated his breakout performance with a two-handed slam after eluding Omega’s defense, sealing the rivalry win in style. Spearheaded the attack with a game-high 22 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a crucial late-game block that helped San Beda seal the outcome.
The Filipino-American guard said the game carried deep personal meaning.
Having waited through his residency year to finally face Letran, he shared how much he had looked forward to this opportunity:
“Since my residency and as soon as I landed, I kept saying ‘Letran, Letran, Letran’ and the rivalry and so to wait a year and finally being here, it’s an honor and fun out there,” said Miller, whose mother has Filipino roots.
The loss dropped Letran to 0-2 after an earlier upset defeat to the young JRU Heavy Bombers, leaving them searching for answers early in the season.
San Beda, meanwhile, continued its strong start, displaying depth, discipline, and the poise expected from a championship contender to go along with Miller’s fiery debut, marking the arrival of another star in the NCAA’s most heated rivalry.
The other games of Week 1 were:
- OCTOBER 3
- San Sebastian College-Recoletos 54 – 67 University of Perpetual Help System DALTA
- Colegio de San Juan de Letrán 69 – 73 Jose Rizal University
- OCTOBER 4
- De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde 74 – 63 Emilio Aguinaldo College
- OCTOBER 5
- Lyceum of the Philippines University 61 – 73 University of Perpetual Help System DALTA
