Letran College completed the goal with success.
The Knights demonstrated incredible grace under pressure to win the men's basketball tournament in seasons 97 and 98 when they were up against two youthful, hungry opponents.
Before crushing the hot-shooting College of Saint Benilde in December to win the Season 98 championship without their prized swingman Rhenz Abando, they first defeated the well-oiled Mapua University team in May for the Season 97 championship.
Given that everyone was still getting used to life following the pandemic that lasted for two years, Knights coach Bonnie Tan acknowledged that the feat wasn't simple.
The addition of Abando from the University of Santo Tomas transformed the Knights into an unstoppable force, even if Fran Yu, Jeo Ambohot, Allen Mina, Pao Javillonar, and Louie Sangalang remained for Season 97.
Despite playing off the bench, Abando averaged 15.73 points, 6.36 rebounds, 1.73 assists, and 1.27 blocks during the eliminations.
He even became the first player since Allwell Oraeme of Nigeria for Mapua in 2015 to win the league's Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in the same season.
Letran won all 12 games from the first day of the season until Game 2 of the finals against the Cardinals last May 22, sweeping Season 97 and giving the Knights their first back-to-back championships since 1999.
Abando was particularly excited because this was the first collegiate championship of his career. He also won the Mythical Team honor.
Ambohot, the season's Finals MVP, was also delighted because the series prevented him from participating in the Philippine Basketball Association Draft.
Before Abando signed a contract with the Korean Basketball League team Anyang KGC and forfeited his final playing season, Season 98 looked promising for the Knights.
After numerous players tested positive for Covid 19, Letran even delayed its opening game of Season 98.
Letran nonetheless found itself as the second seed with a 13-5 win-loss record despite suffering two-game suspensions to Sangalang and Brent Paraiso early in the first round and falling twice to rival San Beda University in the eliminations.
A title game against Saint Benilde, a team that hasn't been in an NCAA finals series since 2002, will be played after the Knights defeated Lyceum of the Philippines University in the Final Four.
To set up a crucial Game 3 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, Letran defeated the Blazers in Game 1 by a score of 81–75, while Saint Benilde stunned the Knights by a score of 76–71 in Game 2.
The Knights faced a significant obstacle when Yu was suspended for Game 3 after being dismissed from Game 2 for a disqualifying foul.
Letran attempted an 81-67 victory over the Blazers with its championship expertise on full display to finish the year with a three-peat, something only Samboy Lim could have done for the Knights in 1984.
King Caralipio, the Mythical Team member and MVP of the Season 98 Finals, never gave up on the coaching staff and was rewarded for it.
Tan focused on getting the team to play as a unit to complete the three-peat.(Romeo Braceros Jr.)
Facebook Conversations