Relying heavily on its championship experience, La Salle beat Ateneo in a close contest, 74-68, last night and moved another win away from wrapping up their best-of-three title showdown in the 64th UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Archers, seeking a fourth straight crown under coach Franz Pumaren, showed so much grace under pressure, especially after trailing the Eagles by 10 points in the second quarter, as they hit the bigger baskets down the stretch to win before a big, beautiful and boisterous crowd of some 10,000.
"The boys showed their true character and at least, we had the chance to put pressure on the other team. But I expect Ateneo to bounce back because they wouldn’t be here if they couldn’t," said Pumaren in anticipation of Game Two to be played a week from now.
But whether or not the Eagles could beat the Archers two games in a row now remains the biggest question due to the fact that La Salle has now won its last three games against Ateneo, including two in the elimination round.
Ren Ren Ritualo, part of La Salle’s "Three-Peat" team and now on his last year in the UAAP, was a pitiful sight on the floor in the first half where he went 2-of-7 from three-point range, 0-of-5 from the two-point range and 0-of-2 from the free throw line.
But being a champion at heart, he still kept on firing the rest of the way and was amply rewarded, his last two baskets proving to be the most lethal blows against the Eagles. His short stab with two seconds left in the shot clock and a jumper with 40.9 left in the game gave La Salle a 71-67 edge.
The Eagles, who kept their heads above water on back-to-back three-point plays by Richie Alvarez and LA Tenorio heading into the final minute, then failed on three successive triples — two by Tenorio and the other one by Magnum Membrere — to signal the end of the fight.
"Championship experience spelled the difference for La Salle," said PBA commissioner Jun Bernardino, just one of the thousands of Ateneo fans who left the Big Dome dejected but somehow hopeful that their team still has what it takes to mount a comeback.