Lions Roar!

By Zenaida Dadacay
Business Mirror
September 20, 2007



Ogie Menor scored 23 points and helped engineer a critical fourth-quarter spurt to give San Beda a 76-68 victory over Letran in Game One of the 83rd National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball finals yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum.

The game was nip and tuck in the first three quarters until the Red Lions jumped on the Knights early in the fourth period, running a 16-6 score that defused Letran’s spirited drive.

In that run, Menor scored nine points and got ample help from pro-bound Yousif Aljamal as San Beda stretched a close 48-47 count to a 66-57 lead, 4:36 left in the game.

“May instruction sa akin to take the shot if I’m open,” Menor said. “May tiwala sa akin ang coach at teammates ko and I’m just doing my part.”

The Red Lions will have to wait for a week though—Game Two is scheduled September 26—before they could wrap up their second consecutive championship and 13th title overall.

“It wasn’t easy, that’s a fact,” Red Lions coach Frankie Lim said. “We struggled offensively in the first three quarters because of the tight defense of Letran and also because of the tension [since] this is the first game in the finals.”

Sam Ekwe finished with 14 points and 18 rebounds, while Aljamal had 12.

Letran actually led big (23-14) early. But San Beda countered with an 11-0 run in the first five minutes of the second quarter that put the Red Lions in the driver’s seat, 35-34, five minutes to go before halftime.

Letran wasn’t fortunate as well in Game One of the high-school finals, losing 90-72 to defending champion San Sebastian, also yesterday.

Ryan Buenafe was a man among boys, posting 28 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Staglets in the yawner.

“Medyo maganda ang naging pahinga namin and we used that opportunity para mapanood ang lahat ng games [ng Letran],” said San Sebastian coach Raymond Valenzona.

“Kaya lumabas ngayon ’yung intensity ng mga bata. Nanggigil sila sa first quarter then nag-relax a little bit sa second half but I’m glad they played steadier down the stretch,” he added.

Arvie Bringas chipped in 21 points and 15 rebounds for San Sebastian.