For the first time in this series, San Miguel Beer showed that it has the ability to recover.

And for just the second time since the turn of the millennium, the Beermen are again lording it over everyone else in the PBA Philippine Cup, and San Miguel couldn’t have authored a better script in making it happen once again.

The Beermen again blew a huge first half lead before recovering just in time to beat Alaska, 80-78, in a Game 7 for the ages on Wednesday night before close to 23,000 screaming souls at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Arwind Santos hit the last four points for the Beermen, who threw away a 23-point second quarter lead to lag behind, 68-74, midway in the fourth, only to regain their composure and win the franchise’s first all-Filipino championship since 2001.

It was the 20th overall title for the league’s oldest franchise and just the fifth AFC, and it couldn’t have come in a more satisfying way.

The Beermen, who lost Games 1, 3 and 6 after blowing away a combined first half lead of 61 points, were developing a notorious reputation as the collapse kids of the series, that they couldn’t win games unless they led all the way.

But in the grandest stage of them all – in a rubber match that was nothing short of a classic – San Miguel erased all that.

“This is unbelievable,” San Miguel coach Leo Austria said. “I knew right from the start (of the title playoffs) that Alaska is a hard team to beat. But I have to appreciate my players. They simply did not give up.”

Santos, the MVP two seasons ago, first hit a three-pointer with the shotclock winding down to give the Beermen a 79-78 lead going into the final 43.7 seconds.

Alaska then went to center Sonny Thoss – who carried the Aces in the fourth quarter – in its next offensive only for the 6-foot-7 slotman to miss a left-handed reverse layup.

Santos was then fouled by JV Casio with 18.9 seconds to play with the San Miguel forward making just one of two penalty shots, leaving Alaska with a lot of time to come up with at least the game-tying play.

Calvin Abueva, who would have been the Finals MVP had Alaska won, then missed two close attempts at the basket. But the chances of the Aces wouldn’t end there as Ronald Tubid grabbed the rebound but called for a timeout that San Miguel didn’t have.

That sent Dondon Hontiveros for the technical free throw with still 5.4 ticks left on the clock. But the deadshot from Cebu uncharacteristically missed it.

Still, Alaska refused to just die, as the Aces, through Abueva, forced June Mar Fajardo into a jumpball situation.

Alaska won the tap, but Casio – to highlight his offensive struggles in the series – threw up an airball from three-point range as the buzzer sounded, triggering a huge celebration in the stands among the San Miguel faithful.

Santos wound up with 22 points and 12 rebounds and nipped Fajardo for the Finals MVP award after averaging 18.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.2 assists in the series.

Fajardo, the reigning MVP who won the Best Player of the Conference award before Game 4 last week, finished with 21 points and 25 rebounds, the first time in league history that a local had a ‘20-20’ in a Game 7 of the Finals.

Aiding Alaska’s downfall was its cold 10-for-25 shooting from the line.

The Aces missed four free throws in the fourth quarter alone, two of them to complete three-point plays.

“There’s not a group of guys I’d rather coach,” Alaska’s Alex Compton told reporters later. “I’m still proud of these guys. If you get this close (to winning a championship), you feel successful.

“We were a few free throws away (from winning it),” he added.

Abueva led the Aces with 23 points and 15 rebounds, scoring 13 of his total in the third period when Alaska nibbled away at a 27-48 halftime deficit to come into the fourth period trailing by just 59-62.

Thoss wound up with 15 with Cyrus Baguio shooting 11 for the Aces.

Tubid, Chris Lutz and Alex Cabagnot all finished in twin digits for the Beermen.