Sunday, March 23, 2008 PBA stars relive collegiate rivalry
MANILA—The lone encounter is set at 4 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum and promises to relive the drama and thrill of the 2002 UAAP Finals between the Blue Eagles and the Archers.
That classic duel proved to be the last championship collision between the two warring schools. Ateneo edged out La Salle, 77-70, in the deciding Game 3 of a series that captured the imagination of an entire nation, and won its first UAAP men’s basketball crown in the last 14 years.
Curiously, the core of that very same Blue Eagles championship unit will carry the colors for Ateneo when it clash with the Green Archers in an exhibition game that intends to benefit the PBA Players’ Educational Trustfund.
Leading the way for Ateneo to be coached by Chot Reyes are 2002 UAAP Most Valuable Player Enrico Villanueva, Larry Fonacier, Lewis Alfred Tenorio, Wesley Gonzales, Paolo Bugia, Gec Chia and Doug Kramer. Supporting them are Magnum Membrere, JC Intal, Macky Escalona, Rich Alvarez and veteran Olsen Racela.
Payback
Aching for payback are some members of that runnerup De La Salle squad that include Mike Cortez, Mack Cardona, Ram Carlo Sharma, Adonis Sta. Maria ad Joseph Yeo. Completing the Green Archers’ roster mentored by Barangay Ginebra’s Jong Uichico are RenRen Ritualo, Don Allado, Ryan Arana, Willie Wilson, Junjun Cabatu, Mark Telan and JR Aquino.
No title is at stake in the one-game only showdown yet coaches Jong Uichico of DLSU and Chot Reyes of Ateneo brace for an intense and fiercely fought duel no different from their memorable championship showdowns in the past.
“For sure, the intensity will be there. We all know that every time these two teams play, for whatever cause, it’s always a battle,”Reyes said.
“It’s going to be like their UAAP days. They will relive their rivalry during their college days. The pride will still be there,” offered Uichico.
Rivalry
Perhaps the most compelling rivalry Philippine basketball ever had, La Salle and Ateneo both had a history of winning tradition, sharing a combined 10 UAAP titles (3 for the Blue Eagles and 7 for the Green Archers) and 19 NCAA championships (14 for Ateneo and 5 for La Salle).
No historical facts had been established on how the healthy competition on the court between the two schools all began, although the earliest recorded championship duel featuring the Eagles and Archers came in the 1939 NCAA Finals won by a La Salle side bannered by team captain Enrique ‘Totit’ Valles.
“It’s going to be fun and at the same time, going to be a competitive basketball game between two teams that hate to lose against each other. And yes, it’s definitely for a charity cause,” said PBA commissioner Renauld `Sonny’ Barrios. (PBA Media Bureau)
