The San Beda Red Lions trusted their fate in the hands of reserve player James Payosing in the fourth quarter and the move reaped handsome dividends as it netted them their 23rd crown in the 99th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball crown on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Payosing did not disappoint as he went on to finish with 11 crucial points as the Red Lions ended up with a 76-66 thumping of the Mapua Cardinals in the deciding Game 3 of their finals’ showdown.
Of his total output, Payosing made only six points in the last period, but they proved enough to give him the Finals’ MVP plum.
The Red Lions, who last won a championship in 2018 after beating the Lyceum Pirates, took the control of the game in the last 2:05 off Payosing’s big plays.
With the Cardinals threatening at 63-68, Clifford Jopia started to move the Red Lions out of harm’s way with his putback in the last 3:18.
Payosing’s layup and freebie going into the remaining 2:05 then saw San Beda moving out of reach by 10 at 73-63, allowing the Red Lions to stay out of trouble in the last three minutes.
The 20-year-old Payosing, a recruit from Bislig back in high school, stepped up after key players Yukien Andrada and Jacob Cortez struggled with cramps in the second half.
Earlier, Payosing’s two charities in the 7:13 mark shattered the game’s last tie of 61-all and gave the Lions a 63-61 edge before Andrada, who showed the way for the Red Lions with 20 points, including nine points in the fourth, hit the last of his triples that gave them a 66-63 edge in the final 6:47.
Payosing’s final-period heroics allowed the 6’2” Payosing to redeem himself following a yearlong layoff when he fractured his left hand in Season 98.
“It’s really just the players, who gave it their all. We were struggling in the second round. But it was the players, who decided that they wanted to go to the other round (Final Four and finals), the round where nobody believed we can go. But we were given the chance,” said Red Lions’ coach Yuri Escueta.
The Red Lions last held the crown in 2018, with Robert Bolick, Javee Mocon and Donald Tankoua leading their title defense with top rookie prospect Evan Nelle, who came from the Red Cubs at that time, but is now playing for the La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP.
San Beda’s title conquest gave teammates Nygel Gonzales and Peter Alfaro a fitting birthday gift, in a game witnessed a record crowd of 23,077.
The Cardinals, who were seeking to end a 32-year title drought, drew 18 points from JC Recto and 13 from season MVP Clint Escamis.
Recto last put the Cardinals ahead, 61-58, with his layup off Marc Cuenco’s assist on the 8:10 mark.
The scores:
San Beda 76- Andrada 20, Payosing 11, Gonzales 10, Cortez 8, Royo 6, Jopia 6, Tagle 4, Alfaro 4, Puno 3, Visser 2, Cuntapay 2
Mapua 66- Recto 18, Escamis 13, Rosillo 10, Hernandez 6, Cuenco 5, Dalisay 5, Bonifacio 4, Soriano 3, Fornis 2, Bancale 0, Sabsalon 0
Quarterscores: 24-15; 36-35; 53-57; 76-66
