MANILA, Philippines - UAAP four-peat champion Ateneo trounced University of San Agustin, 77-62, to arrange a showdown with West Negros University for the Philippine Sports Commission-University Games crown in Roxas City last Friday.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles meet Visayas powerhouse team West Negros University (WNU) Mustangs in the championship before an expected full-house crowd at the Capiz Gym inside the Villareal Stadium, the biggest sports complex in Western Visayas.
It will be the disciplined style of basketball by the Blue Eagles against the free-wheeling and power-playing game by the Mustangs after the two teams disposed of their respective opponents in the semifinal games.
Ateneo took a 44-26 halftime lead in route a 77-62 win over University of San Agustin (USA) to earn the finals’ slot.
The Mustangs broke out of a close game against St. Francis College of Assisi (SFAC) only in the last five minutes of the game for a 66-55 victory and the other slot in the championship of the competition supported by Sandugo Sandals and Gatorade and the LGU’s of Capiz and Roxas City.
“We need to make adjustments in our game, they are taller than us,” said WNU head coach Troy Sarabia.
The Mustangs last won their UniGames title in 2005 while the Blue Eagles finished fourth last year in Dumaguete.
In women’s basketball, defending champion Adamson U is expected to collect its fifth UniGames crown when it clashes with College of St. Benilde.
UP-Diliman took third place by default over St. Louis University (SLU) which had to catch the ship back home Friday morning.
University of the East dominated both the men’s and women’s badminton competitions. UE defeated USLS 21-12, 21-6, 18-21, 21-15, 21-12, to take the men’s crown while in the distaff side, UE came from behind to score a 13-21, 16-21, 21-11, 21-18, 21-8, 20-22, 21-15 win.
Alesa Dolino booted in the winning goal in the first 10-minute extension to give Far Eastern U, the 2010 UAAP women’s champion, a 2-1 victory over University of Santo Tomas in women’s football.
La Salle plays University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos for the men’s football crown at the Villareal Stadium.
Earlier, DLSU blanked University of St. La Salle, 3-0, while UNO-R edged out UP-Diliman, 2-1.
It will be an all-UAAP finale in men’s volleyball as defending champion FEU stakes its crown against UST.
In the distaff side Adamson U faces USLS for the crown. FEU swept USLS in the men’s semifinals, 25-20, 25-18, 25-18, while UST was stretched to five sets by National University before prevailing, 26-24, 25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 15-8.
National University took its first title at the competition, winning the men’s lawn tennis event over De La Salle University while DLSU retained its women’s division crown beating UST.