Drive for record No. 5 ends today?
EAGLES SEE TIGERS FIGHTBACK
Games today
9 a.m. – DLSU vs FEU (women’s)
11 a.m. – NU vs FEU (juniors)
2 p.m. – Awarding ceremonies (men’s, women’s, juniors)
3:30 p.m. – UST vs ADMU (men’s)
Ateneo seeks to validate its status as the most dominant team in the Final Four era with five straight titles against a University of Santo Tomas rival out to relive the “Spirit of 2006” when they clash in today’s Game 2 of the 75th UAAP men’s basketball finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Blue Eagles mix it up with the Tigers at 3:30 p.m. before another expected sellout crowd bracing for an epic battle fired up by the verbal tussle between coaches Norman Black of Ateneo and Pido Jarencio of UST.
“I expect it to be an exciting, competitive game with a lot of fireworks,” said Black, gunning for the clincher against a team that dealt him a 1-2 setback in a classic title showdown six years ago. This series, however, could top the first one. The two mentors engaged in a word war following Game 1 that the Eagles won, 83- 78. Jarencio had lashed at officiating, claiming calls somehow favored Ateneo and played up the “Filipino versus American” angle. Black fired back, branding such statements “mean” and pointing to the stats to show that ADMU was slapped more fouls than UST and got less free throws that game to belie Jarencio’s claim.
“If he (Jarencio) gets his players fired up (by his rants), I don’t think I’ll have problems motivating my players. We’ll be ready for them,” said Black.
Jarencio had vowed to bounce back, somehow hoping for a repeat of their first title duel in 2006, when the Tigers took the last two games after dropping the opener to steal the diadem from the favored Eagles in an overtime thriller.
'Wala naman kaming gagawin kundi bumawi, di ba (We have nothing else to do but bounce back, right?)” said the UST tactician, taking a swipe at the referees along the way. ÒSana lang, ang referees bumawi rin (We just hope referees will make up for their shortcomings, too.)”
Commissioner Ato Badolato, who insisted that the referees did a “creditable job” in the first game, had promised an impartial officiating in Game 2 or if necessary, Game 3. He had also appealed to both parties to be “patient” with game officials.
Jarencio had escaped suspension despite his tirades and just got a strong reprimand from the commissioner. The UAAP board of trustees also went with Badolato’s decision and did not touch Jarencio’s case in its regular meeting yesterday, according to league president Nilo Ocampo.
“My players don’t want to lose even more. This really made them want to win the next game,” Jarencio said in Filipino, reiterating his previous appeal to “let the players decide the game.”
A five- peat by Ateneo will make the Jesuit institution the most dominant team since University of the East strung up seven straight crowns from 1965-71. In the Final Four era, the Eagles share honors for the longest championship streak with the Tigers (1993-96) and La Salle (1998-2001).
A title-clincher at the expense of the Tigers will also help Ateneo exorcise the “Ghost of 2006.”
“That game in 2006 was a long time ago. I just focus on the current series,” said Black. “We’ll just prepare and I know we can play a lot better than Game 1.”
A victory will also give outgoing coach Black a fitting sendoff but he maintained he’s focused on the job at hand.
“I’m so in the moment now. It’s hard to think about that. Everybody has reminded me of 2006 so the last thing I’d do is look ahead,” Black said.
Nico Salva, who exploded with 30 big points in Game 1, is also looking to graduate as the most bemedalled basketball player in the league with five rings.
“Now that it’s here, I don’t want to let it slip by. Who among the players can say they’ve won five straight championships? It’s a rare opportunity so I have to take it,” said the veteran forward.
But UST is dead-set on forcing a deciding Game 3 and a shot at a league-best 19th title overall.
“We’ll play like there’s no tomorrow,” veteran Jeric Teng vowed in an episode of V Exclusives, the mini talk show of UST’s student publication, The Varsitarian.
“We watched Game 1 and we try to correct our mistakes. We’re also adjusting our defensive rotations,” said Teng, adding that their avid supporters who endured long queues to get tickets “deserve no less than a victory from us.”
Meanwhile, Far Eastern U guns for two titles with the unbeaten Lady Tams shooting for the women’s crown against La Salle at 9 a.m. and the Baby Tams looking to dethrone National U as juniors champs at 11 a.m.
The Lady Tams, who swept the elims en route outright finals and thrice-to-beat advantage, eked out a 64-56 win over the Lady Archers to move closer to a perfect season.
The Baby Tams, on the other hand, took Game 1 against the Bullpups, 78-77.
At 2 p.m. the top individual performers will get their due recognition, led by back-to-back men’s MVP Bobby Ray Parks Jr. of NU.