The RED LIONS are back. And we rocked Mendiola
once again... in NCAA 2007
We are the NCAA Champions
AGAIN in 2007!!!
Batch HS'82 was there for the NCAA
RED LIONS on the
83rd Season. "Back to Back Champs" once again after 29 years. by Gus Gastrock
San Beda finally buried the ghost
of the past as the Red Lions bag the 2007 NCAA Men’s Senior basketball
championship, on the 83rd season, 2nd year in a row after 29 years. The Red Lions ended a 28-year-old title
drought that dates back to 1978 when a team bannered by former pro-players
Chito Loyzaga, Jayvee Yango, and current San Beda coach Frankie Lim led their team into the
back to back championship. It was sweet to recall that San Beda is back on the
limelight, champions for 2006 and again on 2007. Just like in the
old days. And finally we are winners again.
The San Beda Red Lions beat the Letran Knights on a
best-of-three title series via a 76-64 win last Wednesday (26th Sept) at
the legendary Araneta Coliseum. SAN BEDA COLLEGE banked on the explosive
performances of pro-bound Yousif Aljamal, Ogie Menor and Sam Ekwe in the
fourth quarter to sweep the National Collegiate Athletic Association
basketball championship crown. Aljamal had 24 points, 10 rebounds, 3
assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks while Menor topscored with 26 points,
including 12 in the fourth quarter, as the Red Lions scored their second
back-to-back titles since 1977 and 1978.
This year (2007) marks only the second time that these two teams
meet in the the NCAA Finals the last time was in 1950. It featured
two of Philippine basketball legendary players with Lauro "The
Fox" Mumar and Caloy "The Big Difference" Loyzaga on the spotlight. San
Beda, the only remaining league pioneer member with 13 NCAA crowns to its
credit, also had successive championships in 1934-36 and 1951-52.
Confetti then fell from the roof signaling the end of San Beda’s long title drought.
Followed by the famous "Bedan Hymn" sung out by a sea of RED Bedans in the
Big Dome. Bedans
from different generations and campuses banded together to put into
practice the legendary Bedan fellowship that we gloriously declare to be
of no equal. No school can even come close.
Our school spirit was never built over a stack of cards, nor a
championship crown, nor about pomp/pageantry and class
discrimination, and not even intellectual elitism. The Bedan spirit
is an authentic expression of camaraderie, fellowship and family...
It is an expression of our humanity as shaped by the
conditions, realities and contradictions inside and outside San Beda
grounds...
Let us be reminded constantly that all glory is
fleeting... Cherish the intangibles... We are all doing a
great job in different fronts! Once again, We're Back, We reunite, Go San Beda
Fight! - Congratulations to all. We all deserve it.
first, ended 28years at
82nd
season, (2006)
next, we made it back-to-back at 83rd
season,
(2007)
for the next seasons to come... we'll make it a dynasty!
SAN BEDA RED LIONS 2007-2008
NCAA CHAMPIONS!
We Are the Champion's Hymn 2007
SAN BEDA
VS LETRAN NCAA FINALS 09-26-07
San Beda NCAA Red Lions Champions - Game
Highlights 83rd
Season (2007)
photos by Jerry
Garcia - SBC GS'78 HS'82
