More than stressing they’re no one-game wonders, Ateneo’s soaring Eagles underscored as well their new status as worthiest title challengers to their bitter rivals, the La Salle Archers, in Season 79 of the UAAP last week.
Showing deadly composure down the stretch, the Eagles completed a second round conquest of the three other Final Four qualifiers by turning back the Adamson Falcons, 73-67, to secure the second and last twice-to-beat bonus in the semifinal playoffs for the two championship slots.
The Archers had earlier clinched the first twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four which materialized after the Eagles inflicted a first loss in 13 games on their arch rivals early this month and denied them an outright berth in the Finals that comes with an unbeaten run in the two-round eliminations.
Despite the 83-71 loss to Ateneo, La Salle easily finished with a leading 13-1 win-loss card which clearly illustrated how the Archers dominated the opposition this time after failing to reach the Final Four last year.
The Eagles wound up a far second with a 10-4 slate with the defending champion Far Eastern U Tamaraws sliding to third at 9-5 and the Falcons, who were assured of the No. 4 semifinal berth by eliminating Season 77 champion National University, settling for that same spot at 8-8.
Ateneo, which swept its two meetings with FEU (76-71 and 74-59) before avenging its 62-61 first-round loss to Adamson, now goes for a third straight win over the defending champion, which needs two victories to survive the Final Four stage.
La Salle is likewise heavily favored to return to the Finals since 2014 by ousting Adamson in the other Final Four duel. The Archers have won their two previous meetings against the Falcons, 91-75 and 86-75.
The Tams are no pushovers but they have to recall their mean forms when they beat the Santo Tomas Growling Tigers for the title last year if they want to give coach Nash Racela a fitting farewell gift.
Racela is leaving the Tams after the tournament to serve as coach of the TNT Katropa in the PBA. But FEU didn’t play like a champion in its last game against the University of the East Warriors, who later shared the cellar with the Tigers at 3-11.
The Warriors held the Tams at bay for most part of the contest before FEU squeezed through with a scrambling 10-2 run for a 64-61 victory.
However, new Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin, the former Gilas Pilipinas mentor, expects a fierce fight from Racela and the Tams. “I think FEU is going to be a monster in the Final Four. They have the experience and the most experienced coaching staff,” he said.
Ateneo is hoping to forge its first title showdown with La Salle since 2008 when the Eagles prevailed to kick off a five-year championship run.
La Salle won only once in four championship dates with Ateneo in the league. But the Archers seem right on target to duplicating their 2001 triumph this time behind a crack squad led by Jeron Teng and Cameroonian import Ben Mbala.