FMC Open: San Beda versus St. Benilde
NCAA teams San Beda Red Lions and St. Benilde Blazers booked a finals encounter in the 9th Fr. Martin Cup Collegiate Open tournament after contrasting wins in the semis against fellow NCAA members Arellano University and Letran College on Saturday at the Trinity University of Asia gym. The Red Lions, who are seeking a fourth straight FMC Open title, used a solid running game to pull away in the third quarter and score a convincing 75-65 victory over the Chiefs. But the Blazers needed the end-game heroics of veteran point guard Luis Sinco to survive the Knights, 63-61.
Rome Dela Rosa, Ola Adeogun and Baser Amer combined for 36 markers for the Red Lions, while Arellano was led by John Pinto’s 19 points. The Chiefs missed the services of main man James Forrester as well as head coach Koy Banal, who had to join the San Mig Coffee Mixers in a PBA out-of-town game in Naga City. The Arellano Chiefs are thought by many to be the biggest threat to San Beda’s four-peat quest in the NCAA this season. Compared to last year’s roster, the Chiefs seem to have a deeper rotation now with so many skilled guards and outside shooters. Their biggest handicap, at least for now, is the lack of post players that can lock horns with Adeogun in the shaded area.
But it’s quite probable that Arellano will have a better showing this year, and is likely to make it to the Final Four for the very first time in the NCAA. It can be remembered that the Red Lions upended the Chiefs last year with just six players, following the suspensions of the rest of the team for their involvement in a fracas inside the San Beda gym during an NCAA volleyball game. There is nothing that the Chiefs would want more than to upset the defending champions, whether in the NCAA or some other tournament. But not yet.
The second semis game saw a battle between teams with newly appointed head coaches. Both Caloy Garcia and Gabby Velasco were picked just last month to take over the Letran Knights and St. Benilde Blazers respectively. Both coaches are no strangers to college basketball. Velasco once handled the La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP, while Garcia used to be at the helm of the Blazers.
Except for Kevin Alas and Jam Cortez, all of the key players in Letran’s runner-up team last year saw action against the Blazers. Kevin Racal was the steadiest, firing 17 points. Mark Cruz, Jonathan Belorio, Raymond Almazan and Kris Alas all figured in the game but could not secure the finals slot for the Knights. Letran’s high school star Rey Nambatac also played major minutes in the game for the Knights.
The Blazers lost top gun Carlo Lastimosa and ace guard Joseph Tolentino from last year’s line-up. But Sinco and Mark Romero are more than willing to lead the charges of CSB this season. Romero exploded for 24 points, while Sinco added 17 points, including his team’s last five points that sealed the win and secured the right to challenge San Beda for the FMC title next week.
The entry of the Blazers in the finals is quite a surprise considering that Velasco split the team into two squads with almost equal quality. Prolific wingman Juan Taha is with the other team that lost to Letran in the quarterfinals last week.
But the Red Lions are the hands-down favorites in this match-up with an almost intact line-up. They are just so much deeper and more talented in all positions if compared to the Blazers. It seems very unlikely that CSB will be able to score an upset this time. New Lions coach Boyet Fernandez, who is fresh from a fourth consecutive PBA D-League title with the NLEX Road Warriors, will want to have his first collegiate basketball title. By all indications, this could be a lopsided championship game.
But the pressure is more on the side of the Lions as they try to chase the four-peat in the FMC. As for the Blazers, they are more than happy to be back in the finals in any college tournament after so many years. And they will surely give it their best shot.
