The San Beda College Red Lions are currently sitting at second with a 10-3 record with just five games to go in the season.
The defending NCAA champions currently have the second lowest point differential in losses with an average of -6.33 point margin in those three losses. Moreover, they have accomplished this without ace floor general and co-chieftain Baser Amer in nine of those games.
Last September 10, the Perpetual Altas and the Red Lions figured in an epic tilt for the ages that ended with a buzzer beating layup by Bright Akhuetie that handed San Beda its third loss of the season. The silver lining for the Mendiola cagers in that game was seeing Baser Amer play a season-high 21 minutes.
“The demeanor and the leadership, the winning attitude of Baser Amer cannot be coached,” coach Jarin said about the return of Amer in their matchup against the Jose Rizal Heavy Bombers. This was clearly evident during their game against the Altas as Amer was on the floor in the majority of the fourth quarter as the two teams exchanged leads. Moreover, the return of Amer gave Jarin the flexibility to use a three-guard lineup with Amer being capable of defending the opposing team’s top wing guy due to his length and defensive savvy.
With 45.1 ticks to go in the game and after a mad scramble, Dan Sara was able to find a wide open Amer, who calmly knocked down a clutch three-pointer to give San Beda an 84-83 lead. The joy in Amer’s face after the ball swished through the net is a testament to the hard work he has put in during his therapy sessions at the Ateneo. The humble floor general credited the shot to sheer luck, “Nagkataon lang talaga. Swerte kasi na rebound pa, napasa pa sa akin. So swerte lang, ako ready to shoot lang anytime. Nasa isip ko kasi nun yung shot clock paubos na,” he said. The SEA Games gold medalist finished the game with ten points on 4/9 shooting and added two dimes and a steal.
However, Amer still cannot say when we can see the Smart Elite ambassador at full strength. “Di ko pa masabi. Yung sa akin minamaintain ko lang therapy and workout. Kelangan kasi maibalik yung timing and yung [strength] sa bangaan,” he added. More so, he feels that the Red Lions have no time to sulk and they need to go straight to the gym and improve more with their chemistry, especially with just five games remaining in the elimination round. “Sabi nga ni coach move-on lang kami. Marami pa rin kelangan i-improve as a team. Kanina kasi nagkanya-kanya kami,” the Smart Elite ambassador closed.
Still not being 100%, we have seen signs of how lethal Baser Amer is on the court as he has not lost his knack for knocking down the big shots and making the huge stops. With five games still remaining in the calendar, Amer and San Beda look to improve on their personal and their team strength to prepare for the final stretch.
