Escueta praises vets for recent conquest

Winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball crown is already an odyssey, especially against a decades-old rival.

But for San Beda University, it is all just basketball at the end of the day. 

More than just clinching the Red Lions’ 24th NCAA crown, head coach Yuri Escueta reminded his players to keep improving on themselves and not let outside factors mess them up.

San Beda won the NCAA Season 101 championship after scoring an 83-71 Game 2 win over Letran College at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Saturday.

“I would always tell my players that it is just basketball. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose but basketball is a sport we’ve been playing all throughout our lives. Just enjoy the game,” said Escueta, now a two-time NCAA champion mentor.

“If you win, you win. If you lose then try again next year, so the pressure is just in your mind. Of course, the pressure of winning is there but if you work hard, you do the right things, and you have good players with good attitude the championship will be the result of the culture we like to build for the players.”

Escueta, who studied under high-caliber coaches like Ato Badolato, Norman Black, Chot Reyes and Tab Baldwin, emphasized cultivating a consistent system and culture that will ensure San Beda will be a title contender in the NCAA.

“Leading San Beda to a championship is always special. But more than winning, it’s the leadership, the culture, and the character that these guys left to those who will stay,” Escueta said, referring to his graduating stars Yukien Andrada and Bryan Sajonia, who bagged the finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors after averaging 19 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the championship series.

“Hats off to our players, especially our veterans, for stepping up and leading this squad back to the championship. I just watched them play and they are the ones who really wanted this title,” Escueta said.

For Andrada, who has been with San Beda since high school, winning the title was sweeter considering he returned to play out his final year.

Andrada, who was picked by Magnolia in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Annual Rookie Draft, finished his stint with the Lions on a high note with 21 points in Game 2.

“That’s what I’ve always wanted, you know, leaving a great legacy. That’s why I came back from that horrible Season 100 stint,” the 6-foot-5 forward said as he recalled their Final Four exit last year.

“I didn’t think twice about returning to San Beda because I want to leave a good legacy. I wanted to give them a championship again before I leave and go into the pros.”

Even Sajonia couldn’t believe he caught fire in the biggest stage of the Grand Old League as he just kept on shooting.

“Every time I had the ball, my teammates would allow me to make the decision to shoot,” said Sajonia, who will play for NorthPort in the PBA.

“I didn’t expect to be finals MVP. My mindset was to just defend and I’m thankful my shots were going in.”

After losing the crown in Season 100, the Lions buckled down and got to work.             

San Beda showed how serious it is on its title bid as it finished the preliminary round of Season 101 with a 9-4 win-loss record for a top spot in Group B and took a twice-to-beat advantage heading into the quarterfinals.

The Lions easily dispatched Lyceum of the Philippines University, 91-67, in the quarterfinals to set a match against last year’s finalists College of Saint Benilde in a best-of-three showdown in the semifinals.

San Beda dispatched the Blazers in three games.

Instead of close finishes in each game, the Lions showed grace, composure and experience as they dumped the Knights, 89-70, in Game 1 last Wednesday.

Not even the absence of rookie Janti Miller affected San Beda heading into Game 2 as it picked up where it left off and finished the job.

Whether the Lions go back-to-back or not, Escueta will need players that are not just talented but are committed to play for school for Season 102.