SAN Beda collides with San Sebastian in a do-or-die stepladder semifinal showdown today that will determine which team gets to face unbeaten Lyceum of the Philippines University in the championship series in the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association seniors’ basketball tournament.
The defending champion Red Lions and Stags take the floor at 3:30 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Red Lions—eyeing a 12th Finals appearance—are coming off 19 days without playing a single game after they awaited the result of the stepladder semifinals between the Stags and Jose Rizal University (JRU) Heavy Bombers. San Beda, San Sebastian, Letran and JRU were 2-3-4 behind Lyceum (14-0).
The long lull could work either way for the Red Lions, but head coach Boyet Fernandez opted for his wards to simply keep their focus.
“We would like to focus on the game and give more concern on how we could preserve our tradition at San Beda,” Fernandez said.
San Beda emerged champion in 9 of the last 11 seasons.
San Sebastian, on the other hand, is hoping to make the championship for the first time since beating San Beda in the finals with a team composed of Calvin Abueva, Ian Sangalang and Ronald Pascual.
“I hope we can make it 12 in a row,” Fernandez said.
It will be a clash of teams that put premium on defense—San Beda held its opponents to an average of 65.8 points, while San Sebastian limited its foes to just 70.2 markers.
“We all know San Beda really play hard defense, same with us,” San Sebastian Head Coach Egay Macaraya said.
The Stags are expected to rely heavily on Michael Calisaan, who scored a career-high 36 points in their 74-69 win over the Knights in the stepladder semifinals. They also beat the Heavy Bombers, 85-73.
Emotions should also run high as after Fernandez once called Calisaan for his “dirty plays,” a statement that didn’t sit well with Macaraya.
Calisaan went on a rampage after that.
Macaraya and Fernandez, though, would like to focus on the game at hand.
“I have no problems with him [Fernandez], I’m just defending my player [Calisaan],” Macaraya said.