Archers, Tigers begin title duel

They are this year’s unexpected finalists.

La Salle and University of Santo Tomas—two teams that capped a season of surprises by forging an unlikely title showdown—try to draw first blood when they clash in Game 1 of the UAAP men’s basketball championship today.

The Green Archers and the Growling Tigers, who both leaned on a late surge to romp all the way to the Finals, go at it in a best-of-three series starting at 3:30 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We’re so close to the championship; we’re really going to fight for it,” said UST top gunner Jeric Teng after his gutsy Tigers survived elimination thrice to become the first No. 4 seed to reach the Finals. “Coach Pido (Jarencio) has more surprises. I think we play much better defense now.”

For all the drama and magic the Tigers rode on the way to the Finals, however, there is the unmistakable reality of an opponent that has played the best basketball since the second round started.

The streaking Archers are on a season-best winning streak of nine games.

“I feel we’re the more disciplined team,” said La Salle big man Arnold Van Opstal. “Our discipline has been revealing itself in the past games, especially in the nine straight we’ve won. Every game we’re getting better. We’re peaking at the right moment.”

Van Opstal, along with the core of Jason Perkins, Jeron Teng and Almond Vostotros, pulled the Archers out of a listless 3-4 start by posting a 7-0 sweep of the second round and upsetting early favorite Far Eastern University in the playoffs and the Final Four.

“We have a better lineup; from player 1 to our last player, we can all contribute,” said Jeron Teng. “We have a deeper bench compared to UST.”

But Jeron’s older brother countered that his Tigers have the edge in experience as they finished runner-up to five-time champion Ateneo last season.

“We’ve been here before, so we already have an idea how we should play,” said Jeric, whose rivalry with Jeron spices up the Finals in a rare sibling showdown.

“I think we’re ready,” added Jeric. “Our players are very experienced and very positive coming into this game.”

The Tigers ended the Blue Eagles’ reign by clinching the last semifinal berth, then survived yet again twice by ousting National University, the No. 1 squad that held a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals.

“We got our timing in the second round,” said Jarencio, noting how his team came out of nowhere just like in their 2006 Cinderella title run. “Our situation in 2006, it was almost like this one.”

La Salle coach Juno Sauler, though, believes his Archers have enough firepower to contend with UST veterans like Jeric Teng, Aljon Mariano, Karim Abdul, Kevin Ferrer and Clark Bautista.

“It will be more of a balancing act,” said Sauler.

UST holds a 3-1 edge over La Salle in their head-to-head title showdown since their heated rivalry back in the ’90s.