The NCAA opened its curtains to a new century of collegiate sports with a redo of last season’s men’s basketball Final Four. 

Opening festivities treated fans to a banger pair: a collision between two well-oiled favorites; and the season’s first double overtime that could’ve honestly reached a third. 

MAPÚA OUTLASTS LPU, SAN BEDA DOWNS BENILDE

There couldn’t have been a better way to begin the season than Mapúa’s nailbiter win over LPU. 

The defending champions went up against an ever-dangerous Final Four contender for Season 101’s very first game, needing two extra periods to settle the score, 90-89. 

In what turned out to be an all-out slugfest between two highly resilient teams, storylines and takeaways from this season-opener could be a bottomless pit. 

One could be an interesting look at Mapúa’s title defense campaign. Though extremely early to make any assumption, Coach Randy Alcantara and his coaching staff will have a lot to digest from this precarious win over the Pirates.

Despite a 1-0 start, the stat sheet shows how gut-wrenching and hard-fought the victory was for the Cardinals, and how the Pirates were able to dominate them in certain departments. 

The team went 15/27 (55.6%) from the free throw line– quite subpar particularly relative to LPU’s 73.3% free throw clip. They tried their luck but failed from long distance, only converting three triples out of their 31 total attempts. That’s less than 10% shooting for the reigning champs that have at their disposal the likes of Clint Escamis, Marc Cuenco, Cyril Gonzales, and JC Recto.

They were outrebounded (56-59) and out-assisted (14-20) by Coach Gilbert Malabanan’s squadron. The only departments the Cardinals dominated were steals (16-11) and blocks (5-3), which, clearly, are a flex of the defensive tenacity their roster is known and constructed for.

Concepcion, Tarlac native Earl Sapasap, one of Mapúa’s touted pickups in the offseason, was a revelation.

The rookie from Tarlac dropped a team-high 16 markers (tied with JC Recto) on a very efficient 7-of-10 field goal shooting with four rebounds– all in only 27 minutes of play. 

Meanwhile, the LPU Pirates, even with a heartbreaker, showed just why they have the arsenal of a perennial contender.

Renz Villegas, who Malabanan referred to in an earlier interview as now his designated ‘main guard’ following Greg Cunanan’s departure, lived up to his billing and then some.

The 5-foot-8 guard from Limay, Bataan steered the ships with 23 points, four boards, and four assists, laced with potent free throw shooting (11/13). 

With the performance, Villegas made it clear: he’s not just about the outside John ‘Ato’ Barba, he’s now LPU’s main guy.

Athletic forward JM Versoza, who came in late last year after recovering from an injury, also impressed with a double-double performance of 14 points and 12 rebounds in the losing cause. 

OPENING CEREMONY

Bannered by the theme “Building Greatness,” the National Collegiate Athletic Association kicked off the newest season on Wednesday, October 1, at the Araneta Coliseum. 

The invocation was led by Aicelle Santos who sang in harmony with the Mapua Cardinals Singers, followed by a sparkling opening production number that illuminated the venue with a lights-and-visual showcase. 

Student-athletes from each of the ten member schools then walked their “Parade of Greatness” and took center stage before the jam-packed Big Dome crowd. 

Dr. Dodjie Maestrocampo of host school Mapúa University uttered the welcoming remarks, while Philippine Sports Commission Chair John Patrick Gregorio delivered a special message. 

King Cardinal and Season 99 Rookie-MVP Clint Escamis spearheaded the athletes’ ‘Oath of Sportsmanship’ with fellow basketball team captains, succeeded by a Mapúa dance number. 

Capping the ceremony was a rendition of the NCAA theme song by All-Out Sundays’ Divas of Queendom Naya Ambi, Thea Astley, and Hannah Precillas.