History will be made as top seed Perpetual Help and defending champion Letran face off on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. in Game 1 their Best-of-Three championship showdown for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 99 junior basketball crown at the FilOil EcoOil Arena in San Juan.
Perpetual hopes to capture a historic first-ever title since joining the tournament 40 years ago in 1984, while the Squires aim for a second straight crown.
But unlike last year’s magical run, the Squires will have a tougher path to glory this time against the hungry Junior Altas, who, against all odds, topped the elimination round with an impressive 8-1 record.
Coach Joph Cleopas of Junior Altas and Coach Allen Ricardo’s Squires both hope draw first blood in the short series.
The Junior Altas have the psychological advantage as the team of owner Dr. Antonio Tamayo won in the elimination round against the Intramuros boys, 94-88, last March 1, with King Junior Altas Amiel Acido delivering the mightiest blows with 27 points.
The MVP frontrunner Acido is expected to lead his teammates Lebron Daep and Mark Gojo Cruz, who were both selected to play in the NBTC 2024 All Star Games. They will be up against Moses Manalili, George Diamante Jr. and Jovel Baliling of the Squires.
Elimination-round numbers also favor the Perpetual team as the combined 15.48 points, 7.59 rebounds and 3.59 assists per game averages by Acido, Gojo Cruz and Daep is superior to the 12.22 points, 5.48 boards and 3.93 assists per game by Manalili, Diamante and Baling.
In the Final Four, it wasn’t Acido who came through with the biggest plays, though, but seldom-used Jan Roluna, who had the game of his life after unloading a 22-point, 11-rebound double-double effort.
Another UPHSD player to watch out for is the slam-dunking Daep, who scattered 22 points, apart from hauling six boards and rejecting two shots.
For the Squires, it will be Manalili who should carry most of the load after coming through big last time with 19 points, 10 assists, six caroms and a steal.
