Far Eastern University-Diliman banked on Jack Gloria to upend Ateneo, 74-72, and clinch the remaining championship berth in the UAAP Season 79 juniors basketball tournament Friday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
Gloria scored six of his 14 points in the payoff period and pulled down 11 rebounds in a double-double effort for the Baby Tamaraws.
FEU-Diliman will take on defending champion National University in the best-of-three title series starting Tuesday at the same San Juan venue.
The Baby Tamaraws are in first championship stint since winning it all in 2012 under coach Mike Oliver at the expense of the Bullpups.
“My players did great. They didn’t give up,” said FEU-Diliman coach Allan Albano.
The second-ranked Baby Tamaraws started flat, as the Blue Eaglets opened the game with 10 straight points but the Diliman-based cagers got their rhythm going later on in the do-or-die match.
Louell Gonzales topscored for FEU-Diliman with 22 points while Kenji Roman also shot 14 points.
Jason Credo scored 16 points while 6-foot-11 newcomer Kai Sotto had a career-high 16 points, including 12 in the second half for the Eaglets, who finished the season in third place.
NU had earlier defeated No. 4 De La Salle-Zobel to make it to the championship round for the sixth straight season.