NCAA Jrs: Amer, Red Cubs sweep Staglets; clinch 18th crown

Baser Amer showed the San Beda faithful and their opponent, San Sebastian, why he was the 86th NCAA juniors'Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the season.

The do-it-all guard, playing his last year as a Red Cub, scattered 25 points as defending champion San Beda completed its back-to-back titles with a 95-84 trouncing of the Staglets in Game 2 of the NCAA juniors' basketball finals on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum. The title was the Mendiola-based squad's 18th overall, tying the record of the Mapua Red Robins, who last won a high school division crown in 2000. Amer also had nine rebounds and eight assists in a near triple-double performance as he joined Al Gotladera and Von Chavez in foiling the Staglets' bid to force a deciding Game 3. "He was really exceptional," said rookie coach Brit Reroma of Amer, who is expected to stay with San Beda in the collegiate ranks. Amer was later named Finals MVP while Reroma, who is expected to fill in the shoes left by the legendary and long-time Red Cubs mentor Ado Badolato, was named the Coach of the Year. But on a day before he turned 30 years old, Reroma perhaps made his predecessor proud on his maiden campaign as he steered San Beda to its second straight NCAA high school division crown. "I guess there's no more pressure for me," said Reroma. Badolato retired last season after leading the Red Cubs to 16 of the school's 17 championships in 30 years at the helm. Unfortunately, the fabled mentor wasn't able to see the game live, as he was at Lourdes Hospital in Mandaluyong City because of an illness. "Unfortunately, he wasn't able to see this game but we dedicate this championship to him," said Reroma. San Sebastian, behind the hot shooting of ace gunner Gino Juamo-as, even grabbed the lead on several occasions, the last at 68-66 with one minute and 56 seconds left in the third period. But in the final quarter, it was all San Beda, as the Red Cubs used their height advantage on both ends of the floor to pull away with a convincing sweep of the best-of-three title series. A closing 7-2 spurt in the final minute of the third canto and a 15-8 run midway in the fourth sealed the win for the Red Cubs. The Red Cubs won despite a monster game from Jumao-as, who finished with 38 points on 15-of-23 shooting while adding 14 rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 38 minutes. San Sebastian trailed 30-17 in the latter moments of the first period but Jumao-as, who likewise played his final juniors game, erupted in the second half, helping the Staglets gain a 57-55 lead on a layup with 6:42 left in the third, and again at 68-66 on a put-back with under two minutes left in the same period. But the Staglets' bid to force a rubber match easily vanished in the fourth quarter as Von Chavez scored seven points in a telling stretch, including a basket that made it 80-72 with 8:46 to go. "Defense was really the key for us and I think we were able to regain that composure after losing a big lead," said Reroma. "Actually, we don't mind if Jumao-as would come up big as long as we neutralize his teammates." From there, San Beda forced San Sebastian to play catch-up until the homestretch to complete a season where it won 17 wins and lost just two, including one that came on a forfeiture because of Amer wearing a wrong jersey in an actual victory over Letran in the first round of the eliminations. Chavez had 18 points and seven rebounds for the Cubs. Teammate Adam Abatayo also scored 18 points, while center Al Gotladera, one of nine players who will graduate at the end of the season, added 14 points and 12 boards. – JVP/KY/HS, GMANews.TV