NCAA SEMIS: Mapua chasing history, Lyceum out to break San Beda jinx

By ANGELO JACINTO

THERE are a lot of changes in the make-up of the protagonists of the NCAA Season 99 semifinals which kicks off this Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena – and that’s a good thing.

Mapua, the proud basketball institution that it is, will be entering the semis as the top seed for the first time in history while the surging Lyceum Pirates are once again vying for a maiden championship as they enter as the second seed.

That means for the first time since 2004, San Beda and Letran – teams who’ve been a staple in the finals since 2005 – won’t have twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four.

The Red Lions will enter the semis as the third seed, while the three-peat winning Knights missed out on the semis completely after a forgettable season which saw them win just two games.

Completing the cast is last year’s finalist College of St. Benilde which has basically limped into the semis following an inconsistent showing in the eliminations.

All this points to a wild and unpredictable semifinals as the top-seeded Cardinals battle fourth-seed Blazers as the Pirates tackle the Red Lions in the other pairing.

That said, let’s take an in-depth look at both match-ups before their games.

(1) Mapua vs (4) St. Benilde

Previous meetings: Mapua def. St. Benilde 75-71; St. Benilde def. Mapua 65-61

With The Backing Of The Flock

Clint Escamis has clearly been the best player in the league this year, and he’s one of the biggest reasons why Mapua finally claimed the top spot in the tournament for the first time in history.

With averages of 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.7 steals, the transferee has been the heart and soul of the Cardinals on both ends this year – as he joined hands with his high school teammates like Warren Bonifacio and Paolo Hernandez to power Mapus’ run.

But one thing that makes the Cardinals so good this year is the emergence of the other guys like Mark Cuenco, Jopet Soriano and JC Recto, three guys who’ve done an invaluable job for coach Randy Alcantara.

Cuenco is one of the best shooters in college today, shooting a healthy 38.6 clip from downtown on 88 attempts for the season. Recto, on the other hand, is a solid two-way wing who can do a variety of things. Soriano plays the bruiser role for the squad to beef up their frontline with Bonifacio

If these three are soaring high, the Cardinals are certainly hard to beat.

Will the real Will Gozum please stand up? 

When he’s in rhythm, Will Gozum is one of the best players not only in the NCAA, but in the entire college basketball scene.

A versatile forward who has different ways of putting the ball in the hoop, Gozum took the country by storm when he won the NCAA MVP award after leading the Blazers to their first finals run in 20 years.

A lot was expected from the powerhouse forward this year, but he’s fallen short of replicating his MVP run last year posting a modest 12.7-point average on just 44 percent shooting alongside 6.4 boards – way down from his near double double effort of 16.8 points on a healthy 53 percent shooting from the field and 9.7 boards.

Gozum showed glimpses of his old self in the second round, posting 27 points in a crucial win over Jose Rizal University. But he closed out the round poorly averaging just 11.6 points as they dropped two of their last three games in the elims.

The Blazers remain a tough customer for any team given their talent, depth and now championship experience, but it all starts with Gozum finding his form.

A breakout is imminent

These two teams boast of two of the finest two-guards in the league in Mapua’s Paolo Hernandez and St. Benilde’s Migs Oczon last year, but both guards have blown hot and cold this year.

Oczon still leads the Blazers in scoring this year, averaging 13.1 points though he hasn’t shot the ball well this year, making just 29 percent of his threes and 35.2 from the field.

Hernandez’ season isn’t any better, with averages of 8.5 points on 28.8 percent shooting from the field and a paltry 21 percent shooting from downtown.

Those numbers aren’t reflective of the skills of both players, as they have proven time and time again to be reliable scorers who can get 20 on any given day – and with how quiet they’ve been entering the semis, it looks like one is bound for a breakout game.

This series will definitely swing in the favor of the team that can reignite their shooters first.

(2) Lyceum vs (3) San Beda 

Previous meetings: Lyceum def. San Beda 67-62, San Beda def. Lyceum 74-56

League’s Best Offense Meet’s The Tournament’s Best Defense 

When the two teams meet in the semifinals, it will be a clash between two very good teams with two contrasting styles.

The second-seeded Lyceum will come in with the league’s best offense, with league-best averages of 81.5 points per game, 40.5 percent shooting clip, 16.4 fastbreak points and 17.7 turnover points.

The Pirates love to play it quick, and they’ve done a very good job doing so.

On the flipside, the Red Lions are here in the Final Four because they’ve been the best team on the other side of the floor.

The boys of coach Yuri Escueta have only allowed 66.8 points per game this season while limiting their opponents to just 38 percent shooting from the field.

While they haven’t done a good job in taking care of the basketball as they ranked 9th in turnovers with 15.7 a game, the Red Lions have done a great job of recovering after a mishap, only allowing 11.8 turnover points a game on their watch.

Looking at both of their match-ups, it seems like the Red Lions have done a good job controlling the pace as they’ve limited the Pirates to just 61.5 points per game in their elimination meeting.

Inside vs Out

Their playstyles vary so much that their points of attack are also on the opposite ends of the offensive floor.

The Pirates run their offense through dynamic bigs Enoch Valdez and Shawn Umali, resulting in a lot of penetrations, cuts, and ball screens and allowing them to get a colossal number of points in the paint at 40.1 a game while shooting a healthy 50 percent clip on twos.

On the flipside, the Red Lions have been reliant on the three ball this season and it has paid off well for them.

The Red Lions lead the league in threes made at 167 and three-point percentage at 31.5. Jacob Cortez and Yukien Andrada have been absolutely scorching hot from downtown this season, with Cortez leading the league in makes at 43 and Andrada running a close second at 41.

But they’re not just hoisting it up all the time, they’re doing it in a highly efficient manner with Andrada ranking second in the league in 3-point percentage at 38.3 percent on 107 attempts per game.

Will The Pirates Finally Get A Playoff Win Over The Red Lions?

Twice in their history, the Pirates have gotten close to winning it all in the NCAA. Twice they’ve been ousted by the dynastic Red Lions.

Now the boys of coach Gilbert Malabanan look to exorcise the ghosts of the past as the Red Lions once again stand in their path to glory.

In the CJ Perez era, the Pirates made the finals twice only to run into the Robert Bolick-led San Beda Red Lions twice. With two chance of winning, having the semifinals pairing advantage, the Pirates are in a very good position to do so.