When San Beda University booked its ticket to the NCAA Season 101 Seniors Basketball Final Four, not only did the Red Lions move one step closer to the championship — they booked a season ticket to a one-way ride to the Grand Old League’s ‘highway to hell.’
Standing between them and the crown are the last two layers of that hell, and both are guarded by Strong Group Athletics.
“Mahirap, of course, because SGA is a management group that really supports their teams and players. No questions asked,” said Red Lions head coach Yuri Escueta.
“That’s the main reason why CSB and Letran are in the semis and, now, Letran is in the Finals.”
No Stop Signs, Speed Limit
For the past five years, Strong Group has built an NCAA empire.
They have dominated juniors’ basketball with Colegio de San Juan de Letran and made waves in women’s volleyball through both the College of Saint Benilde and Letran.
In seniors’ basketball, they assembled powerhouse squads in Benilde and Letran.
Benilde’s recruitment blitz saw them load up on talent — Tony Ynot, Justine Sanchez, and Gab Cometa from San Beda; Allen Liwag from EAC; Shawn Umali from Lyceum; SJ Moore from UST; and Raffy Celis from Ateneo — forming a formidable core.
San Beda needed all three games to survive Benilde in the semifinals. The Red Lions took Game 1, 91–71, before the Blazers forced a decider with a 77–75 win. San Beda ultimately closed the door with a thrilling 84–81 victory in Game 3.
Adding fuel to the buildup were online rumors about Red Lions star Janti Miller considering a move to a UAAP school after the season.
Now, their biggest obstacle awaits: Letran — another SGA-backed giant.
Strong Group also rebuilt Letran after San Miguel Corporation’s exit, with Allen Ricardo steering the program and recruiting Mark Omega and Jun Roque from Perpetual, Peter Rosillo from Mapua, and retaining homegrown talent Jonathan Manalili.
For Escueta, the road to the summit has always run through giants.
Letran enters the finals riding a six-game winning streak and playing its best basketball of the season.
“Kailangan maghanda kami, hindi siya magiging madali. Letran is a tough team, they have a good backing, of course, properly backed sila by SGA. They have a good coaching staff and talented players,” Escueta said after San Beda’s win over Benilde on Sunday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
“Sabi ko nga sa kanila, before the season started, all-star team yung Letran na. And Titing [Manalili] is very talented, so we have to be able to prepare well and toughen up against this Letran team.”
No One’s Gonna Slow Me Down
(C) NCAA/GMA
San Beda knows this isn’t just any finals.
Letran has surged at the perfect time, eliminating Arellano University despite its twice-to-beat advantage and then sweeping top-seeded University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in the semifinals.
The finals are expected to be even more intense, with emotions amped up by the magnitude of another San Beda–Letran showdown.
“Well, talo kami sa kanila and I think they’re peaking at the right time. Noong last game na kalaban namin sila, talo kami. They’re peaking at the right time, hats off to their coaches. Kailangan namin maghanda, hirap magsalita,” Escueta admitted.
Despite the pressure of facing an SGA-backed juggernaut — and their historic rival — Escueta wants his players to embrace the moment.
“Wala naman pressure, but I just want my players to be able to enjoy and experience yung ganung atmosphere, especially in the finals. Hindi lahat ng San Beda players at hindi lahat ng Letran players naka-experience being able to play in a San Beda-Letran match in the finals,” he said.
The chase for San Beda’s 24th championship may be their toughest yet.
To reach heaven, they must first walk through hell.
