DUEL OF THE BEST
University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern U, playing the entire season like two teams possessed, finally get the chance to lay to rest the ghosts of their past as they start their best-of-three championship for the UAAP men’s basketball crown.
The Tigers, bridesmaids in seasons 75 and 76, and the Tams, runners-up last year, take the next step towards redemption as they open their title duel for the Season 78 diadem today at the MOA Arena.
Top-ranked UST may enjoy a 2-0 edge head-to-head against the No. 2 Tams this year but Tigers mentor Bong dela Cruz maintained this is a different battle altogether. “Syempre iba na yung championship.
Kahit naka-dalawa kami eh, elimination iyon, championship na ito. Ibang story na ito (Even if we beat them twice this season, that was back in the eliminations. The championship series is a different story),” said dela Cruz ahead of the 3:30 p.m. Game One.
“Kailangan naming pagtrabahunan ito, malakas ang FEU, kailangan naming pag-aralan kung paano namin sila tatalunin
uli (FEU is a strong team. We need to prepare well and work hard to beat them again),” he added.
The Tams view it as a challenge to break UST’s stranglehold in the most crucial stage of the tourney.
“We haven’t beaten UST this season and we need to make major adjustments for us to get ahead in the finals. Defense has to tighten up and our offense has to be more efficient,” said FEU coach Nash Racela.
“We should see it as a challenge. We lost twice but this is a different ballgame – it’s the finals. We just have to learn our lesson, try to understand how we can beat UST, execute the game plan and hopefully turn it around,” FEU team manager Richie Ticzon said during yesterday’s PSA Forum.
The UST-FEU tussle provides a throwback feel as it featured two squads with rich winning tradition. The two last faced off in the 1979 with the FEU Tams of coach Turo Valenzona and players Anthony Williams and Bai Cristobal winning over the Glowing Goldies of
coach Rogelio Serafico and cagers Ed Cordero, Frank Natividad and Edmund Yee in a one-game finale, 100-89.
Between them, FEU and UST boast of a combined 37 titles overall, with the Tams enjoying a one-crown lead at 19. “Naka- 18 kami, naka- 19 sila so kailangang makabawi kami para 19 na rin at maka-tie sa kanila (We want to win the 19th title for UST to tie FEU with the most titles won),” said dela Cruz.
The protagonists anchor their bids on a core of veterans all eager to leave on a blaze of glory.
Kevin Ferrer, Karim Abdul, Ed Daquioag, and Louie Vigil carry the fight for the Tigers, who are seeking to strike gold in their third finals appearance in four years.
Mac Belo, Mike Tolomia, Roger Pogoy, and Achie Inigo spearhead the Tams, who aim to hit paydirt after blowing a one-game lead against National U last season.
Although they are two winningest squads in the league, FEU and UST haven’t been as successful in the past decade. The Tams last triumphed in 2005 while the Tigers ruled the roost in 2006.
”They have a veteran core, we have a veteran core; they have their strengths, we have our strengths. I think it will be a matter of who wants it more in the finals,” said Ticzon.