San Beda may have opened the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament with a big win, but the path ahead is anything but easy.
Following the Red Lions’ 96-85 win over the College of St. Benilde at Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday, coach Yuri Escueta quickly turned their attention to their next game day. On Sunday at San Juan Arena, the oldest collegiate rivalry between Letran and San Beda takes center stage and the matchup always demands the best preparation.
‘Playing Letran always brings out the best of the coaches and the players knowing they’re our rivals,’ he said. ‘This year, they’re so strong. They’re like an all-star team.’
Bryan Sajonia, who scored a team-high 16 points with three steals to match, will have to exert the same effort or even more in their outing against their longtime rival.
For one, the Knights will have the services of former Perpetual Help stars Jun Roque and Mark Omega along with veteran shooter Deo Cuajao and Titing Manalili, who sat out last season due to academic deficiencies.
Red Lions forward Yukien Andrada knows just how physical that upcoming clash would be. After all, he’s been through most of the rivalry since his rookie year in the NCAA.
‘I’m expecting a very very physical ballgame but we’ll just play the game the San Beda way,’ he said after dropping 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.