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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Adjustments key to Lions’ title conquest

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Getting to know the game of the Lyceum Pirates and putting them out of sync was the objective of the San Beda Red Lions when they won Game 2 with a 71-56 swamping last Monday.

Watching closely how the Pirates play and how coach Topex Robinson adjusts his plays allowed coach Boyet Fernandez to prepare well and help the Red Lions bag their third straight National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball crown

“I watched the games live every game. I want to see how coach Topex adjusts, how CJ (Perez) plays, how the Marcelino twins play and how Nzesseu plays. It’s the adjustments,” said Fernandez a few minutes after the game ended at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The return of last year’s Most Valuable Player Perez in Game 2 to the Pirates’ roster gave the Red Lions a chance to show how well they play as a defensive team.

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The Red Lions, according to Fernandez, managed to disrupt the Pirates’ game when they kept shifting from a man-to-man defense to a semi-man to man game and to a zone defense.

With Clint Doliguez and Donald Tankoua firing 14 and 13 points, respectively, the Lions never gave the lead after they took a 23-15 edge in the first period.

Things fell into place after Javee Mocon led with 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Red Lions won their fourth three-peat championship since 2002. Already the league’s winningest squad, they added more separation from the second-running Letran (17 titles) with their 22nd senior basketball crown and their fourth under Fernandez. It was also San Beda’s 11th crown in the last 13 years after they got titles under coaches Frankie Lim, Coy Banal, Jamike Jarin and Ronnie Magsanoc in previous years.

Fernandez said the search for a championship for the Red Lions is not over yet.

“Tomorrow, I’ll wake up again looking for another championship,” said Fernandez.

In the four times that San Beda won a crown under Fernandez, the Red Lions now have a 74-12 win-loss record under his name.

Their three-peat did five senior cagers proud, namely Robert Bolick, Javee Mocon, Jeramer Cabanag, Joe Presbitero, and Radge Tongco.

Mocon, who experienced two title conquests in the junior division, and four with the senior team, was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

He averaged 15.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 2.0 assists in the series.

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