MANILA, Philippines – The San Beda Red Lions bucked a third-quarter collapse in Game 2 of the NCAA Season 99 finals and escaped the Mapua Cardinals, 71-65, in front of 22,465 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, December 10, to force a do-or-die showdown.

Jacob Cortez led all scorers in the win with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, while his star counterpart, the newly-crowned MVP Clint Escamis, limped to 15 points on a 4-of-21 clip.

Fourth quarter

• FINAL: San Beda forces Game 3 with a 71-65 escape
• SAN BEDA 70-65: JC Recto scores inside
• SAN BEDA 70-63: Yukien Andrada adds three more with 2:15 left
• SAN BEDA 67-63: JC Recto quick two
• SAN BEDA 67-61: Jacob Cortez with a booming step-back triple at the 3:10 mark
• SAN BEDA 64-61: James Payosing scores a putback. Timeout Mapua with 3:34 left
• SAN BEDA 62-61: Jacob Cortez go-ahead triple with 4:29 left
• MAPUA 61-59: Jomel Puno and-one conversion
• MAPUA 61-56: Peter Rosillo swishes a long bomb
• MAPUA 58-56: Jacob Cortez with an up-and-under layup, misses the bonus
• MAPUA 58-54: Paolo Hernandez hits 2/3 from the line
• MAPUA 56-54: Aaron Royo spins and scores inside
• MAPUA 56-52: Clint Escamis drills from deep
• MAPUA 53-52: Emman Tagle long two
• MAPUA 53-50: Jomel Puno sinks 2/2 free throws

Third quarter

• END OF THIRD QUARTER: Mapua shuts down San Beda with a 23-6 quarter for the 53-48 lead
• MAPUA 53-48: Jacob Cortez goes 1/2 from the line
• MAPUA 53-47: JC Recto floater for the 23-5 run
• MAPUA 51-47: JC Recto mid-range shot
• MAPUA 49-47: JC Recto 2/2 free throws
• 47-47: Warren Bonifacio splits from the line
• SAN BEDA 47-46: Jomel Puno pushes San Beda back up from the line
• MAPUA 46-45: Jacob Cortez goes 1/3 from the line
• MAPUA 46-44: Clint Escamis pushes Mapua ahead at the line at the 4:11 mark, 14-2 run
• 44-44: Paolo Hernandez tying three at the 4:46 mark. Mapua 12-2 run
• SAN BEDA 44-41: Marc Cuenco layup to get Mapua within one possession
• SAN BEDA 44-39: Jomel Puno unsportsmanlike foul on Jopet Soriano with 5:27 left. Soriano 2/2 + Mapua possession
• SAN BEDA 44-37: Jopet Soriano splits from the line
• SAN BEDA 44-36: JC Recto glides in for two
• SAN BEDA 44-34: Clifford Jopia hits two more inside
• SAN BEDA 42-34: Clint Escamis adds two more
• SAN BEDA 42-32: Jopet Soriano easy layup

Halftime performers

• Jacob Cortez (San Beda) – 11 points, 7/10 free throws, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
• Clifford Jopia (San Beda) – 6 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, +20
• Clint Escamis (Mapua) – 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2/9 shooting, -16

NCAA FINALS G2 | STATS:

Jacob Cortez leads the way as San Beda stifles Mapúa to just 25% shooting in the first half. #NCAASeason99 pic.twitter.com/RYtGkS0xbW

— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) December 10, 2023

Second quarter

• HALFTIME: San Beda breaks away from Mapua with a 42-30 lead
• SAN BEDA 42-30: Paolo Hernandez and-one conversion
• SAN BEDA 42-27: Clifford Jopia scores two more inside
• SAN BEDA 40-27: Aaron Royo scores two, misses the bonus
• SAN BEDA 38-27: Jopet Soriano easy layup
• SAN BEDA 38-25: Peter Rosillo scores his first two, snapping a 5-minute Mapua scoring drought
• SAN BEDA 38-23: Jacob Cortez 1/2 free throws, 18-1 run
• SAN BEDA 37-23: Jomel Puno with a mid-range hit, 17-1 run with 3:42 left
• SAN BEDA 35-23: Clifford Jopia with the open layup. 15-1 San Beda run
• SAN BEDA 33-23: Marc Cuenco hits an airborne Jacob Cortez with 4:36 left. Unsportsmanlike foul. Cortez hits 1/2 + San Beda possession
• SAN BEDA 32-23: Jacob Cortez fishes another foul, splits from the line. 12-1 San Beda run
• SAN BEDA 31-23: Jacob Cortez fishes a foul, scores two charities
• SAN BEDA 29-23: Aaron Royo scores two from the line
• SAN BEDA 27-23: Jacob Cortez slices inside for the layup
• SAN BEDA 25-23: James Payosing scores his first two
• 23-23: Clint Escamis splits from the line
• SAN BEDA 23-22: Peter Alfaro responds with a three
• MAPUA 22-20: Clint Escamis hits a booming three to give Mapua its first lead

First quarter

• END OF FIRST QUARTER: Mapua rallies late as San Beda hangs to a 20-19 lead
• SAN BEDA 20-19: Paolo Hernandez isolates and hits from three to end the quarter
• SAN BEDA 20-16: JC Recto hits the Kobe-esque fadeaway
• SAN BEDA 20-14: Jopet Soriano corrals his own miss and scores
• SAN BEDA 20-12: Damie Cuntapay extends his range, hits a long bomb
• SAN BEDA 17-12: Jopet Soriano goes 1/2 from the line
• SAN BEDA 17-11: Damie Cuntapay hits a floater
• SAN BEDA 15-11: Paolo Hernandez hits two from the line
• SAN BEDA 15-9: Clint Escamis slices and dices for a reverse layup
• SAN BEDA 15-7: Jacob Cortez swishes two charities
• SAN BEDA 13-7: Marc Cuenco drives inside for two
• SAN BEDA 13-5: Clifford Jopia easy layup
• SAN BEDA 11-5: Marc Cuenco splits from the line, Warren Bonifacio putback
• SAN BEDA 11-2: Yukien Andrada hits his second trey
• SAN BEDA 8-2: Clint Escamis hits 2/3 from the line
• SAN BEDA 8-0: Peter Alfaro adds three more
• SAN BEDA 5-0: Yukien Andrada quick triple
• SAN BEDA 2-0: Jacob Cortez sinks the first two

Starters

• SAN BEDA: Jacob Cortez, Peter Alfaro, Clifford Jopia, Yukien Andrada, Aaron Royo
• MAPUA: Clint Escamis, Peter Rosillo, Warren Bonifacio, Jopet Soriano, Marc Cuenco

Individual awards

In his return within the walls of Intramuros, former Mapua high school standout Clint Escamis made the most of his Cardinals homecoming, dominating the competition on both ends of the floor and cruising to the NCAA Season 99 men’s basketball MVP award.

Battle for third

College of St. Benilde claimed third place with a 93-83 victory over Lyceum of the Philippines University. 

Robi Nayve fired 18 points in his final collegiate game for the Blazers as the Pirates played minus star Enoch Valdez, who already signed with the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA.

Preview

After 32 long years, Mapua is now on the cusp of its first NCAA men’s basketball championship after 68-63 escape from San Beda in Game 1 of the Season 99 finals at the packed Mall of Asia Arena.

Led by presumptive MVP and two-way extraordinaire Clint Escamis, the Cardinals denied a late Red Lions comeback to clinch the all-important one-game lead in the best-of-three series.

While the title may be tantalizingly close for the hungry Mapua side, the journey is nowhere near over as the resurgent San Beda squad – once a dominant NCAA dynasty – likewise carries a big chip on its shoulder after being absent in the finals in the last four years.

Led by spitfire guard Jacob Cortez, who was held to 12 points on a frigid 17% clip in the Game 1 loss, the Red Lions are itching for a monumental rally with their season already on the ropes.

Other finals first-timers like James Payosing and Jomel Puno have already proven to be ready when their numbers are called on, as they offset Cortez’s struggles with 14 and 12 points, respectively, in the series opener.

Mapua, meanwhile, is not about to just hand momentum back to an already decorated basketball program.

Bannered by the likes of Escamis, gunner Paolo Hernandez, big man Warren Bonifacio, and tenacious rookie Peter Rosillo, the Cardinals are now on their final descent after soaring as the top seed, and they now only need to stick the landing.

Can Mapua finally finish its storybook run after coming up short in Season 97? Or will San Beda interfere in the closing chapter and extend the series to a do-or-die Game 3?

Game 2 tip-off is at 2 pm, right after the 12:30 pm awarding ceremony, still at the MOA Arena. – Rappler.com