Unforgettable UAAP moments

I remember watching lanky center Cristino (Tito) Panlilio playing basketball for Ateneo in the NCAA when we were both still in school. He was on the Blue Eagles team that won the 1969-70 seniors crown with Francis Arnaiz, Joy Cleofas, Marte Samson, Ricky Palou, Bobby Rius, Chito Afable, Baby Boy Morales, Frank Harn, Jun Ross, Mario Fernandez, Jose Gepuela, Guillermo Balmaceda and Cesar Ijares.

A two-time NCAA All-Star, Tito was, is and will always be blue all over. He finished elementary in 1965, high school in 1969 and his undergraduate studies in 1973 then earned his MBA degree in 1981, all with Ateneo diplomas. Tito went on to become a distinguished professional executive as a banker, president of Universal Foods, Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary and Board of Investments chairman. Today, Tito is “immersed” in the water business and has launched a mineral water brand in Central Luzon, primarily in Pampanga where he’s from.

Beyond his playing years at Ateneo, Tito has remained loyal to basketball. He still plays in pick-up games at least once a week and when his schedule won’t allow it, he’ll find time to make up for the lost exercise by playing nine holes of golf by himself in Punta Fuego. Tito is a fixture in the stands when Ateneo plays and tries to catch every other game in the UAAP on TV. He plans to form a basketball club to play in Commissioner Vince Hizon’s Filsports Basketball Association (FBA), a haven for province-based teams, and label it with his water brand.

Tito is also involved in the Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame. He recently did his usual review of how Ateneo players performed last season in the course of his duties as a member of the Sports Hall of Fame selection committee. Ateneo inaugurated its Sports Hall of Fame in 1979 and holds inductions once every three years. But last year, Tito said no enshrinement was held. There were several nominees but none made the grade to meet the selection committee’s high standards. An Ateneo athlete is eligible for the Hall of Fame 20 years from high school graduation.

Tito said his review of last season’s performance will be archived and resurrected when the Ateneo players of that campaign become eligible for the Sports Hall of Fame. Here are some of Tito’s notes:

“In the crucial second round game between Ateneo and NU last November, Kiefer Ravena unloaded 6 straight three-pointers that is worthy of a Guinness World Record recognition. He miserably struggled from beyond the arc before that contest. The last of the 6 was the most sensational because he jumped, was fouled, acrobatically dipsy-dooed to execute his shot with the ball hitting the back glass and miraculously banked into the basket. With the free throw he converted, Ateneo raced to a quick 19 point production from the man dubbed the Phenom who was truly phenomenal in this record-breaking feat.”

Tito said something similar happened in the second championship game between FEU and UST when at the start of the second half, the Tigers were down by nine then suddenly, Kevin Ferrer unloaded 5 straight three-pointers, later 2 two-pointers and 2 foul shots to score 24 points in the quarter in a furious comeback that took UST to victory. “Though shy of 1 three-pointer to match Kiefer’s record, Ferrer’s salvo was also sensational because it was recorded in a tightly-fought championship game,” he said.

Looking back before last season, Tito recalled that in the first game of the 2012 title series between Ateneo and UST, the Eagles’ Nico Salva had an out-of-this-world achievement. Salva scored 30 points that led Ateneo to victory but what was amazing was he made all his shot attempts. “Unbelievable but true and one of those baskets was even a three-pointer late in the game,” he said. Salva bagged the Finals MVP trophy in a rare back-to-back feat as he was also Finals MVP in 2011.

“Ateneo’s 5 straight senior basketball championships articulate an incredible episode in modern UAAP history with its present cast of 8 universities,” said Tito. “Ateneo beat La Salle, UE, FEU twice and UST in recording the 5-peat. In the ‘60s, UE won 7 straight with one season as co-champion in 1967. The co-championship was declared when the final game was marred by a ghastly free-for-all between the Jaworski-led UE and the Florencio-led UST. The game was stopped and no longer replayed and both teams became co-champions. UAAP then was a smaller league with only 5 schools.”

Tito pointed out that Salva, Justin Chua and Tonino Gonzaga were the lucky Eagles who played on 5 straight title teams. “In all of their allowable eligibility to play in the league, they were champions,” he said. “How can you beat that? Another Blue Eagle has the unique and hardest-to-equal record of playing on 7 championship teams, spanning his NCAA and UAAP years. Ryan Buenafe is for now the winningest varsity cager of all-time after winning 3 crowns with the San Sebastian Staglets in the NCAA and 4 with the Eagles in the UAAP.”

Finally, Tito cited another little-known record. “For 17 straight seasons from 1997 to 2013, the UAAP men’s basketball Finals saw either Ateneo, La Salle or both as protagonists,” he noted. “Both schools won 12 of those 17 titles while FEU won four and UST one.” Thanks for reliving those memorable moments, Tito.