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Excel Roof Wanted It More
by Joseph W. Buduan (March 31, 2010)
Sports writers, book makers, and even
the bar owls and barbershop denizens have always said
it, “The one who wants it more will win it.”
This of course refers to those instances when an underdog
faces off against a favored opponent. Whether it be
in the octagon of mixed martial arts, the grass courts
of Wimbledon, the links of Augusta, the squared circle
of the sweet science or yes, the hard wood of the basketball
court, the one who wants it more will win.
In the case of the Excel Roof 25-ers,
wanting it more has always been what this bunch is all
about. They are built on the core of the current San
Sebastian Golden Stags. For those who have lived under
a rock the last year or so, San Sebastian returned to
prominence in the NCAA with style. They dethroned the
mighty San Beda Red Lions, erstwhile champions the last
three NCAA seasons. San Beda completed this rare grand
slam feat anchored on the size and talent of Nigerian
giant Samuel Ekwe, the 6-foot-8 245-pound center who
won two NCAA most valuable player awards over three
years. When he was done with college ball, the Red Lions
brought in 6-foot-8 American Sudan Daniel as his replacement,
and everybody thought that surely the party would never
end over at Mendiola.
Lo and behold, the Golden Stags ended
that red and white party like the dickens. They had
a new coach in PBA legend Ato Agustin, and a bunch of
highly athletic newcomers on their roster. They would
certainly be competitive, but no one thought they would
become the team that would end the Roaring Dynasty.
They swept San Beda in two straight games in the Season
85 Finals, overcoming odds and doubts that were all
as tall as the San Beda front line. They did it with
unrelenting defense, crashing the boards at every opportunity,
and tenacity from end to end even in the face of the
diehard crowds expecting a fourth straight crown for
the Red and White. By the time the smoke had cleared
and the dust had settled, the Golden Stags were the
ones left standing.
Apparently no one told the rest of the
PBL about this. If they did, it seemed the PBL competition
did not take it too seriously. Now Agustin and his Golden
Stags have a new trophy to add to the mantle over at
CM Recto. “We really just wanted to compete in
the PBL for the experience, to play against veterans,
so this championship is an added blessing for us,”
explained Agustin in the post-game interview after the
championship game at the Arena in San Juan. “Honestly
we never really thought that we could get this far,
that is why we thank the Lord for all of these blessings”
he added.
Agustin had no magic formulas, no deep
or profound words, no gimmickry for this latest championship,
their third since taking the NCAA title several months
ago. What they did in the NCAA Finals against a favored
San Beda squad, they did I this PG Flex Erase Placenta
Cup Finals versus Pharex B Complex-UP. “I just
told the boys that we have to go down on defense, if
we do not defend then we will not win, it was as simple
as that, and thankfully the boys responded,” he
said. “And I also reminded them to box out and
rebound because every possession counts especially in
a championship,” he added.
Pharex had entered the Finals first, easily
disposing of Cossack Blue in their semifinal encounter.
Pharex also had the best record in the eliminations
at 6-1, and they had arguably the best player in this
tournament in 6-foot-4 power forward Vic Manuel. Manuel
averaged over 15 points and eight rebounds per game
and had a high of 27 markers twice in the conference
on his way to earning Best Player of the Conference
honors, his first ever in the PBL. Pharex also had brawny
6-foot-5 former Ateneo center Ford Arao, an underrated
post presence who had at least four double-doubles in
this tournament, including 14 points and 10 boards in
their heartbreaker of a Game 2. With the core of the
UP Fighting Maroons completing the lineup, a pair of
underrated gunners in JR Tecson and Marlon Adolfo, it
looked like Pharex was going to coast to its first-ever
PBL title.
As it turned out, Excel Roof had other
plans. Agustin used primarily his own San Sebastian
players in the short series, and their familiarity and
cohesion paid handsome dividends for the young bench
boss. His three stars – swingman Jimbo Aquino,
and forwards Gilbert Bulawan and Calvin Abueva –
had incredible PBL breakout games in an overtime blockbuster
in Game 1. Aquino had a conference-high 27 points, nailing
the critical jumpers that overhauled a huge Pharex lead.
Bulawan was unconscious with 24 markers and a conference-high
himself with 17 rebounds. Abueva came alive in overtime
to finish with 20 points and 11 boards. Abueva also
did a defensive number on Manuel, holding the MVP down
to just 10 points and getting him out of the game by
drawing his fifth foul, taking a charging foul in a
low post scuffle. Excel Roof climbed all the way back
from 17 points down early in the second half to take
it 97-87.
In Game 2, it was more of the same. This
time though, Manuel looked set to force a winner-take-all
Game 3, by himself if he had to, as he went aggressively
to the basket after getting his MVP trophy before the
game. He seemed hell bent on proving he deserved the
trophy. Unfortunately, an inadvertent contact busted
him in the mouth-nose area, and with the bleeding that
came with it, he had to sit out long crucial stretches
of the third and fourth quarters. By the time he came
back Abueva and pointguard Pamboy Raymundo had everything
under control for Excel Roof. Manuel and Arao still
tried to snatch the W with incursions in the last minute
of play. Excel Roof however would not be denied, wrapping
it up 97-92. Raymundo led all scorers with 24 points
while Abueva added 22 and 12 rebounds; Abueva would
be named Finals MVP.
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