Escamis: This is the moment

Reigning Most Valuable Player Clint Escamis believes Mapua University has learned its lesson from last year and is now poised to win Season 100 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball crown.

Escamis said he felt he and his teammates matured and are now ripe to end the Cardinals’ 33-year wait for an NCAA title.

Mapua eliminated host Lyceum of the Philippines University, 89-79, in the Final Four last Saturday to book a spot in the finals against powerhouse College of Saint Benilde.

“Now I know what will happen, I need to shut off the outside noise and and be mature on how to handle the pressure of the finals,” Escamis said.

“Maturity is something I want to instill in myself and my teammates,” he added.

Escamis fired a warning shot at Saint Benilde after firing a career-high 33 points against Lyceum.

With last year’s defeat at the hands of San Beda University still fresh in his mind, Escamis said they will work doubly hard to make sure they will be the ones left standing when the mushroom cloud dissipates.

Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series will be on 1 December at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at 2 p.m.

“I felt our hustle and maturity in the game (against Lyceum) because a lot of our young guns didn’t panic. We kept our composure,” Escamis said.

“We went through everything in the past, especially against Saint Benilde.”