IN 1952, the San Beda Red Lions successfully defended their National Collegiate Athletic Association title. The Bedans knocked off De La Salle, 50-39, in the finals before a mammoth crowd of 11,000 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The versatile 6-foot-3 Carlos (Caloy) Loyzaga poured in a game-high 18 points, including 10 in the decisive fourth quarter, and put the defensive clamps on La Salle’s towering center Rene Wassmer during the same stretch.
The Green Archers had rallied to take a 32-31 lead at the end of the third canto. But Loyzaga staged a last-quarter one-man show, blocking Wassmer in mid-air then dribbling all the way to the frontcourt for a layup to bring the lead back to San Beda, 33-32.
After connecting on a free throw, Loyzaga tallied seven more points to douse any comeback by La Salle, which scored a measly seven markers in the final 10 minutes.
For the second consecutive year, Loyzaga was voted the NCAA’s Most Valuable Player. In 1953, Ateneo, behind high-leaping and league MVP Francisco (Frankie) Rabat, stripped the NCAA crown from the Red Lions’ head.
The Blue Eagles stopped Loyzaga and his San Beda backups, 63-59, in the finals. Ateneo made it two championships in a row the following season as the Red Lions were disoriented by the absence of Loyzaga for academic reasons.
With Caloy unable to impose his will at the shaded lane against the opposition, the Red Lions were badly beaten by the Blue Eagles, 74-65, for the championship.
In 1955, after a year’s sabbatical, Loyzaga returned to help San Beda secure permanent possession of the much-coveted three-legged Crispulo Zamora Cup by exacting revenge against Ateneo with another NCAA title.
The battle for the Zamora Cup, the hardware that was awarded by the NCAA to the first team that won three titles after World War II, surprisingly was a walk in the park for San Beda.
Ateneo also was looking to bring home the Zamora Cup but the Blue Eagles were meek as a lamb in the finale against San Beda. The Red Lions got off to a quick start and never looked back, mauling the Blue-and-White battalion to the tune of 64-50 after 40 minutes.
In 1956, a rookie by the name of Kurt Bachmann Jr. took the NCAA by storm after spearheading La Salle’s upset of Carlos Badion and the Mapua Tech Cardinals in the finals.
The only child of German national Kurt and Alice Streegan of Jaro, Iloilo, Bachmann later joined several national teams, having already chosen to become a Filipino at age 18 in 1954.
Bachmann’s major offensive weapon was the hookshot. Naturally, the 6-foot-4 center-forward was given the monicker “Mr. Hookshot.” More on the NCAA next time.