News Update They won it together - with a Lion's heart

MANILA, Philippines - San Beda has lost its MVP center Sudan Daniel to an ACL injury even before the 87th NCAA seniors basketball tourney, but everyone in the Red Lions’ den was raring to come forward and chip in to their title bid. There’s Mythical Five guard Garvo Lanete, who stood at the forefront of the assault in their 16-2 record in the elims and top seeding with 18.6-point, 4.9-rebound and 2.2-assist averages. There’s Finals MVP Dave Marcelo, who manned the lane with ferocity, particularly in their 2-0 sweep of San Sebastian in the finals, logging averages of eight points, 13 rebounds and one block. Marcelo’s fellow big men Jake Pascual, Kyle Pascual and DJ Semerad also did their share, as with rookie Baser Amer and backup guard Mar Villahermosa, who played solid ball in the title series. “I really had a good feeling we’d win the championship,” SBC coach Frankie Lim candidly shared after their title-clinching 57-55 win over the Stags, the Lions’ fifth crown in the last six years and a league record-tying 16th overall. “It’s just that I didn’t expect we’d get a record of only two losses since we’ve absorbed a big blow when Sudan got injured. It was hard in terms of having to compensate for his loss. But the best thing is that my bigs responded to the challenge,” added Lim. The veteran mentor, who could summon different heroes nearly every game, especially in the finals where Lanete was slowed down by flu, credited this conquest to team play. “The good thing about this year’s team was that off the bench, there were guys who delivered in the finals. In the first game, Villahermosa delivered. You also saw how Baser played. In the second game, the twins (Semerads) played well. “It’s called team effort. If one guys is off, the other steps up. For me, it’s just perfect,” said Lim. Marcelo, who used up his playing years alongside Daniel, Lanete and Villahermosa, said the seniors and frontliners took it upon themselves to fill in for their injured import. “It’s tough but we had to buck the odds. With Sudan out, we, the seniors, needed to contribute, particularly off the boards. We pulled it off by helping each other,” said Marcelo in Filipino. The Lions played second fiddle to San Sebastian most of the season, with the Stags going undefeated after 15 games. But San Beda roared mightily in the homestretch, routing the Stags, 91-70, to catch up at 16-2, and repeated with an 88-85 verdict in the playoff for No. 1 seeding. “That was the turning point for us. Those back-to-back wins meant a lot. It showed that SSC isn’t that strong, that we can beat them even without Sudan,” said Lim. - By Olmin Leyba