As the final buzzer sounded at Mall of Asia Arena, a familiar chant crescendoed in the air.
“Animo La Salle! Beat Ateneo!”
The country’s fiercest collegiate rivalry will be on display again on Saturday after the Archers arranged a UAAP Final Four showdown with the Ateneo Blue Eagles by ousting the Far Eastern Tamaraws yesterday.
It will be the first time in four years for Ateneo and La Salle to tangle in a post-elimination match since clashing in the stepladder semifinals in 2007 and in the championship round the following season.
“It’s going to be an exciting match, we’re clearly the underdogs here,” said La Salle coach Gee Abanilla.
Ateneo had been waiting for a semifinal opponent for almost two weeks after wrapping up the eliminations with a 12-2 record to claim the No. 1 spot and the twice-to-beat advantage.
La Salle, however, had to go through a tougher route, needing an improbable comeback against the Tamaraws for a 69-66 upset as Norbert Torres came through in a pivotal fourth-quarter run.
“We’re happy with the way we’re performing, we’re peaking at the right time,” said Abanilla. “Hopefully, the long layoff of Ateneo will do well for us.”
The Blue Eagles, though, have dominated the Archers in their four-year reign, winning their last five meetings since 2010 and 11 of their last 12 encounters.