Ateneo's Four-Peat

Image by the UAAP Sports

Not just 1, not just 2, and not just 3...

It's Four-Peat for the Ateneo Blue Eagles.

For four straight years Ateneo Blue Eagles reign as the UAAP Champion. They finished the series in front of 18,817 fans with a sweep, 2-0 against the raging FEU Tamaraws. Blue Eagles ended Game 2 with a blow again, 82-69. It's true that for the Blue Eagles it's really a ONE BIG FIGHT!

Coach Bert Flores made a surprise in the start of Game 2 by putting Bringas and Knuttle in the starting five. It was a fiery and aggressive start for the Tams. Ramos scored the first 7 points of the Tamaraws, they attacked the basket and got fouled, they made 8 of 8 in the free throw line but the Blue Eagles never backed down to the challenge of the Tams. Blue Eagles fought the same aggressiveness level that Tams showed in the start and they forced the Tams to enter in the penalty as early as 5:37 in the first quarter. Eagles maximized the opportunity by scoring 7 of 10 in the line, and they made a short scoring spurt in the last seconds of the first quarter and end the first 10 minutes with a 5 point lead, 23-18.

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Eagles in Game 1

Nico Salva
(image by UAAP Sports)

ONE WIN AWAY

Eagles clinched their first win in the Best-of-Three Finals against FEU Tams, 82-64.

MR. PERFECT

Nico 'Salvage' Salva did no wrong in Game 1 of the UAAP Finals last Saturday(Sept.24). He scored a huge 24 points, grabbed 5 boards, dished 3 assists, got 2 blocks and became the Best Player of that game.

Salva had a perfect overall shooting game. He made 8 of 8 in the field and 8 of 8 in the free throw line. He never wasted any shot to helped his team secure their first win of the Finals.

In the first part of the opening quarter, Tams made a few jitters, turned the ball over a couple of times and the Eagles took advantage of that and scored quick 6 points. Garcia retaliates and attacked the defense of Eagles and Tams tied the game at 6 a piece. Romeo the anchor of Tams scored 10 points, with 3 rebounds and 2 assists in the first quarter alone, a big lift for the Tams. They shot 60% to start the game and made a strong act for by ending the first 10 minutes up by 5, 19-14.

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Redeem or Four-peat?

RENEWED RIVALRY

FEU is again in the position to stop Ateneo from writing an amazing history.

FEU and ADMU for the third time in the UAAP Finals
since the start of Final-4 format in 1994
Image by the UAAP Sports

Tams and Blue Eagles met twice in the Finals since the start of the Final-4 format in 1994, it was in 2003 and 2010. They have a 1-1 record in their head-to-head match up in the Finals. In 2003 season of UAAP, Tams beat the Blue Eagles in a convincing fashion, the Morayta based team swept the Ateneans that year in their Best-of-Three Finals. They met again in 2010, this time, the Katipunan based squad never won a single game against the Tams in the elimination but they return the favor to the Tamaraws, Blue Eagles swept the Tams in the Finals, 2-0, and it became sweeter for the Ateneans because FEU was not successful in stopping the rare Three-peat of ADMU.

In this 74th season of UAAP it's a REMATCH! but this time we have the reverse situation. The Morayta squad never won a single game in the elimination against the Blue Eagles this year, can FEU retaliate?

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