Sudden death

A series that was tipped to go down-the-wire gets a fitting finale today with Ateneo and Far Eastern U battling one last time for the second championship berth in UAAP Season 79 basketball tournament.

Tip-off is at 4 p.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum, where the defending champion Tamaraws seek to reach the finals for the third straight season at the expense of an Ateneo squad seeking to make it back to the championship round for the first time since 2012 when the Eagles won the last of their “five-peat.”

Ateneo came into the series as the prohibitive favorite with its twice-to-beat advantage and sweep of FEU in the elimination round, but the edge has been negated by the Tamaraws’ 62-61 victory in Game 1 last Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.

FEU coach Nash Racela said it will be foolish for the Tamaraws to think that they have the advantage going into the do-or-die encounter tonight after their strong finish in the series opener.

“You can never think that you have an advantage because once you think about it, you start losing the battle,” Racela said. “We have to take that same attitude from the last game where we played like there’s no tomorrow.”

The Tamaraws, whose coach is set to leave FEU after the season to take the helm at TNT Ka Tropa in the PBA, will be out to prevent what is billed as a “Dream Duel” between rivals La Salle and Ateneo in the finals.

Half of the job was done last Saturday when captain Raymar Jose provided the flash of inspiration for the Tamaraws with a 20-point, 23-rebound output that underscored FEU’s resiliency in the face of adversity.

The Blue Eagles also vowed to prepare whatever defensive schemes the Tamaraws throw at them after they struggled with their shooting in Game 1. Facing FEU’s zone defense, Ateneo attempted 36 triples, which coach Tab Baldwin said was just too many. The Eagles made just six triples.

“It got away from us in the fourth quarter, and we paid the price,” said Baldwin, whose team also got outworked on the boards, 40-50. “We have to make sure it won’t happen again.”

It won’t be the first time, though, that the Eagles were pushed to a do-or-die match in the Final Four and bowed out. National U dealt the Eagles, then led by Kiefer Ravena, a painful exit with a stunning upset in the semifinals on its way to the crown two years ago.
Racela said reaching the finals against La Salle would be a fitting way to celebrate his 45th birthday today.

“That’s my birthday wish,” he said.