At the end of the first round of the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament, San Beda University appeared to be the dominant contender that NCAA fans recognized.
Following an 86-72 victory over a competitive Emilio Aguinaldo College squad, the Red Lions finished the first round with a 7-2 record, placing them in second position in the standings, just behind Mapua University. While their record reflects the Red Lions’ strength, the most intimidating aspect of San Beda’s success is the consistent improvement of their players as each game progresses.
The 6-foot-5 rookie wingman Jomel Puno began the season slowly on the bench for San Beda, but in the past three games, he has emerged as a dominant presence in the paint. His athletic advantage over NCAA competition has resulted in three consecutive double-double games for Puno, making him look more and more like a star with each passing game.
In their most recent game against the Generals, the Red Lions received an additional boost as 6-foot-7 Clifford Jopia recorded his own double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, despite initially struggling more than Puno in the opening matches.
“Malaking bagay for us na naka-contribute si Cliff at na-take advantage niya yung height niya, especially sa NCAA.
“Ball game ng guards sa NCAA kasi pabilisan, so challenge sa kanya is to be able to dominate as a big, kasi if hindi ka maka-dominate sa rebounding, sa rim protection, wala kang advantage against sa faster paced teams. Yun yung challenge sa kanya playing in the NCAA,” shared Red Lions head coach Yuri Escueta about the transferee out of FEU who is in his final year.
Escueta also noted that Jopia’s confidence had waned due to his slow start, but he credited his teammates for boosting his spirits with each passing game.
“Good thing about Cliff is even though medyo nagstruggle siya nung start ng season, of course may times na medyo nadodown siya, but he picked himself up and stayed positive,” bared Escueta.
“Yung teammates niya were always there behind him, telling him that they believe in him, importante yun eh yung trust in teammates eventually nakuha din ni Cliff yung confidence niya.”
Even San Beda’s star guard, Jacob Cortez, is learning to grow as the season progresses, acknowledging the need to improve his emotional composure during challenging games.
For Escueta, while the improvements are encouraging, he knows that there is still much work to be done as they head into the second round of the season.
“It’s a good win diba itong past games namin? But we still have one more round.”
