Coach Randy Alcantara and Finals’ MVP Clint Escamis relished the moment when the Mapua Cardinals ended a 33-year wait to become the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball champions again.
Alcantara was part of the champion team that won the Season 67 crown after taking Game 3 at the expense of the San Beda Red Lions, behind the heroics of slotman Benito Cheng’s follow-up shot in the final five seconds for a 91-90 triumph on Oct. 16, 1991.
“‘Yung gutom, siyempre 33 years. ‘Yun lang talaga ‘yung motivation namin. Palagi na lang namin sinasabi na maging gutom sa bawat laro. ‘Yung hustle, dedication, at laki ng puso nandu’n,” said Alcantara when they ended Season 100 with a 12-game winning streak, capped by a 94-82 smothering of the College of St. Benilde Blazers in Game 2 on Saturday.
The 52-year-old Alcantara was in a nostalgic mood after the game, wearing the same basketball ring net that Escamis wore around his neck. The ring rope was cut off from the backboard moments after their memorable game.
Alcantara was a support unit member of the 1991 champion team of the Cardinals, which also included Chito Victolero, Chester Lemen, Reynold So, Terry Ronquillo, George Baltazar and Darren Evangelista.
This time, Alcantara, who wore his jersey no. 13 during their clash with the Blazers, had coached Mapua to two junior titles in 2016 and 2018, before heading to the collegiate ranks to steer the Cardinals to three finals’ appearances and one crown.
In all those times since 2021, players from the junior team like Escamis and Joaqui Garcia have remained.
For Escamis, all the hard work has paid off after they lost to the San Beda Red Lions last year.
“Last year, San Beda got it. This year, it showed that we put in the work. The system and the community were behind your back,” said Escamis.
Escamis added that his encouragements to teammate Marc Cuenco worked, as he knocked in 19 points in leading the Cardinals to a 2-0 sweep of their best-of-three finals’ affair with the Blazers.
It was the back-to-back triples from Lawrence Mangubat and Cuenco, which kept Mapua ahead by 10 heading into the fourth, 66-56.
“Marc came up. Ang alat niya nu’ng Game 1. Sabi ko sa kanya, you need to take those shots, even though nag-miss ka, and that’s until the time na magbalik ang confidence mo,” added Escamis.
For the Blazers, they missed an opportunity to end a two-decade title drought.
Season MVP Allen Liwag led the team with 14 points and 10 rebounds.