Red Lions roar to fourth straight NCAA crown

MANILA, Philippines - San Beda rode on the heroics of Art dela Cruz and Nigerian Ola Adeogun as it turned back Letran, 60-56, to clinch the 89th NCAA senior basketball title yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The victory extended San Beda’s reign for yet another season. The Red Lions held their fingers high signifying their fourth straight championship.

Dela Cruz and Adeogun brought it all out and willed the Lions to their first ever four-peat feat, a seventh championship in the last eight seasons and 18th overall.

It underscored their domination of the country’s oldest collegiate tournament for the past decade.

Dela Cruz made the clutch plays and finished with game-highs 20 points and 16 rebounds while the 6-foot-8 Adeogun had a monster effort of 17 points, 13 boards and three blocks.

Adeogun blocked a potential game-tying shot by Kevin Racal in the dying seconds to seal San Beda’s second straight victory over Letran in the finals.

“Credit this win to my boys who played with hearts of champions,” said San Beda coach Boyet Fernandez, who came to a frenzy, jumping up and down the court with his players after the buzzer sounded.

Dela Cruz edged Adeogun for the Finals MVP plum.

“I’m happy I won this award but I will be equally happy if any of my teammates won it because winning the championship is enough for me,” said dela Cruz, whose father Art, Sr. was teammate of Fernandez with Sta. Lucia in the defunct Philippine Basketball League.

For Adeogun, he’s just happy to contribute in defense and be part of the champion team.

“I just made up my mind to play tough, physical defense and I’m happy I helped the team,” he said.

But it was sweetest for outgoing San Beda captain Rome dela Rosa, who served his fifth and last tour of duty for the Lions.

“I can’t describe the feeling,” said Dela Rosa, who was part in all four championships by the Mendiola-based school.

Right after the triumph, San Beda went back to campus and celebrated mass at the Our Lady of Monserrat Chapel. They did away with their traditional bonfire and street party in honor of victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

“We’re holding our bonfire instead on Nov. 22 and we invite everyone to attend because we will be dedicating the proceeds we will get there in relief efforts for the victims of Yolanda,” said Fernandez.

Reigning league MVP Raymond Almazan paced the Knights with 14 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. But he was slowed down in the second half when he committed his fourth foul in the third quarter.

Almazan scored on a jumper from the right baseline that gave Letran a 52-51 lead with less than four minutes to go after the Knights trailed most of the second half.

It turned out to be the Knights’ last shot at glory as Dela  Cruz and Adeogun took matters into their own hands and scored all but one of the Lions’ last nine points.

Letran mentor Caloy Garcia said breaks just didn’t go their way in the crucial stretch of the game.

“The breaks of the game (did us in) but there’s nothing to be ashamed of. The boys gave it their best,” said Garcia.

Letran had a couple of chances to knot the count, force overtime or even snatch the win. But they blew them away when Racal got blocked by Adeogun and turned the ball over after intercepting an inbound pass by Dela Rosa in the dying seconds.

Dela Cruz and Adeogun teamed up in the third quarter when the two combined for 15 points to transform a six-point halftime deficit to a 45-43 edge going into the last 10 minutes of the game.

Led by dela Cruz, the Lions went on attack mode early, took a 14-7 lead at end of the opening quarter and stretched it to 18-7 early in the second period.

But Cruz unleashed an eight-point barrage in sparking a 23-6 blast as the Knights went into the halftime break with a 30-24 advantage.