For College of Saint Benilde head coach Charles Tiu, facing the defending champions, San Beda University, in the NCAA Season 100 Seniors Basketball Tournament has been a grueling process both tactically and emotionally.
All year long, former Bedans Tony Ynot and Gab Cometa drew the ire of Red Lions fans whenever green and red clashed. The San Beda faithful did not take the departure of the two guards after Season 98 lightly, and they rarely hesitated to voice their displeasure.
As their head coach, Tiu found it difficult to see his players treated with such hostility.
“It’s enough to see, for me as a coach, [to] get my players jeered at, given the bad sign or whatever courtesies they had to endure,” shared the third-year tactician.
With San Beda and Benilde booking a duel in the Final Four, the stage was set for an even more dramatic conflict, with even heavier pressure on the shoulders of Ynot and Cometa.
As tensions in the Cuneta Astrodome built up, Tiu became adamant about ensuring his team got the job done against the defending champions quickly and decisively.
“I told them I don’t want to have another Game 2. I don’t want to play at Cuneta anymore. I don’t want to go up against San Beda again.”
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Sure enough, the Blazers responded to Tiu’s words by grabbing a statement 79-62 blowout victory, with Ynot leading the charge against his former school. Amidst the jeers of the San Beda faithful, Ynot stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, three rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block.
“I tip my hat off to them for keeping their composure. It’s not easy to play like that,” added Tiu.
The victory over the Red Lions sent the Blazers back to the finals and moved them one game closer to an NCAA title—the title that Ynot and Cometa missed out on when they chose to move to Taft rather than suit up for San Beda in Season 99.
“I said I wanted to win also for our Beda boys. I told them San Beda won the championship when they left. Siyempre I felt bad na hindi pa sila naka-champion. Kasama sana sila sa team na iyon. I said sana kami rin maka-champion,” Tiu said.
Despite the off-court drama between his players and the opposing fans, Tiu had nothing but respect for this year’s San Beda squad and refused to count them out as contenders again next season—even if this is the first season since 2004 that neither San Beda nor Letran made the finals.
“I think every year San Beda is gonna be there. You can never count them out. Letran has some guys waiting next year, so those two teams will probably be in the mix of things,” he shared.
San Beda head coach Yuri Escueta even shared a few words of encouragement with Tiu after the game, refusing to let the bad blood between the two schools affect their relationship. 
“He just told me good luck in the finals. He said he hopes we win. Obviously, Coach Yuri and I have a great relationship. He was my teammate also in college,” explained Tiu.
“Much respect to him. We’re good friends. Just wishing me well, congratulated me, and I also said he’s had a great season and hopefully, I can also have an NCAA championship like you.”
Tiu hopes to replicate the successes that Escueta achieved last season as Benilde is set to battle against Season 99 runner-up Mapúa University on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
With such a decisive Final Four takedown, and with a perennial powerhouse like San Beda behind them, the Blazers enter the finals with all the confidence in the world.
