MAPUA University’s Clint Escamis was hoping to go home with a fifth trophy after snaring four earlier including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Season 99 (S99) Most Valuable Player (MVP) plum.
He would have to wait for a week though.
Mr. Escamis would have to be content with the individual awards he raked in after the Cardinals fell to the San Beda University Red Lions in Game Two. Apart from the MVP plum, Mr. Escamis was part of the First Mythical Team, Defensive Team and the recipient of the Rookie of the Year plum in simple awarding rites at the Mall of Asia Arena hours before.
This after averaging 16.6 points and 3.65 steals, both league highs, apart from 5.95 rebounds and collecting a total of 53.16 Player Average Value in besting Lyceum of the Philippines University’s Enoch Valdez (44.82).
University of Perpetual Help’s Jun Roque, Emilio Aguinaldo College’s JP Maguliano and Mapua’s Warren Bonifacio joined Mr. Escamis and Mr. Valdez in the elite first squad.
Other individual awardees were San Sebastian College-Recoletos’ Romel Calahat (Defensive Player of the Year) and Letran’ University Jay Garupil (Freshman of the Year).
But it turned out the MVP award got into Mr. Escamis’ head and was jinxed as he misfired on 17 of the 21 he attempted from the field including 11 misses out of 13 tries from the three-point line. — Joey Villar
