It’s the last few seconds of the game and everyone waits anxiously to see how things will turn out. Barely anything can be heard above the deafening yells of the students from the two schools, proudly wearing their colors, red for one school and green for the other.

One feels a sense of anticipation in the air as all eyes focus on the center of the arena. A young man, in red and white, jersey number 18, is in possession of the ball. Opponents are crowding him, trying to overpower him. With only 3.4 seconds left, he goes for it. The winning shot. His team wins!

This was the scene in the opening game of the 89th NCAA Basketball tournament last June 22 at the Mall of Asia Arena. The San Beda Red Lions were pitted against the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Blazers, with the former barely scraping a win after a tough second half.

It was obvious that the win would not have been possible without San Beda’s Art dela Cruz, who plays starting power forward. He has proven himself to be a strong asset to the Red Lions. He’s good in both offense and defense.

This is not surprising. He is the son of PBA San Miguel Beerman Arthur dela Cruz, who was with the 1995 PBA All Defensive Team.

What does it feel like to be the son of the former PBA star?

The proud son sees it as a blessing, for he is getting from his father not only tremendous support but also tips on the hard court.