Archers eye clincher vs Eagles: One crown to die for

MANILA, Philippines – In a highly charged duel between two bitter rivals, nothing beats the feeling of getting one over the other. And it gets so much sweeter if one nets the top prize at the expense of its nemesis.

That’s exactly what La Salle is aiming for as it guns for the clincher against Ateneo today in their showdown for the coveted UAAP LXXIX crown before an expected full house at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Green Archers eked out a 67-65 escape act over the Eagles in the series opener last Saturday and it could be an indication of how tightly fought the pivotal Game Two set at 3:30 p.m. can be as well.

“Ateneo is a tough team and we need to stay focused. To win Game Two, everyone has to contribute, no one can be missing. If we play as a team, we’ll end it on Wednesday,” DLSU coach Aldin Ayo said.

No one wants to finish it off more than veteran forward Jeron Teng, who wants to leave the Taft-based team and the league on a blazing note.

“Gusto ko talaga last game ko na. Ayaw ko na magka-two games pa. Medyo funny at parang ironic na gusto ko na matapos ang UAAP career ko pero (I want Game Two to be my last game in the UAAP and) we just wanna end it already,” said Teng, who rose to the occasion with  a clutch layup and defensive stop in the waning seconds of Game One.

Beating Ateneo for their first championship since 2013 and title No. 9 overall is enough to push the top-seeded Archers to action.

“We don’t want to lose to Ateneo.  Personally, I want to beat Ateneo so bad,” said DLSU guard Kib Montalbo, who made Teng’s layup possible with his preceding swipe against AdMU’s Thirdy Ravena.

The feeling is, of course, mutual.

“Syempre gusto rin nila gawin sa amin iyon (Naturally, they want to do the same thing to us). Pareho lang. What matters most is who wants it more,” said Montalbo.

“Lalaban kami (We’ll fight to the finish), we’ve been doing it the entire season,” vowed Ravena.

AdMU coach Tab Baldwin said it’s imperative for his young wards to embrace this challenge or else get themselves swept by their fancied rivals.

“They should (continue growing). That’s what young players should do. These guys aren’t great basketball players; they have a lot to learn and they’re hardworking kids,” he said.

“They’re trying to learn the game and we’re getting phenomenal lessons in a game like this. But it isn’t about lessons right now; it’s about standing up to the challenge and becoming champions,” he added.

Both sides underscore the importance of starting out strong and finishing just as strong.

In Game One, DLSU stormed to a 17-2 lead but somehow tapered off and needed some big plays down the stretch to escape with the close victory. On the other hand, AdMU’s anemic start didn’t help its cause.

“We have to sustain the same intensity from beginning to end,” said Ben Mbala, set to be minted UAAP MVP in the 2 p.m awards ceremonies.

“They’re beatable naman talaga. We did that during the second round and we’ll do that again on Wednesday,” AdMU’s Mike Nieto said. “We’ll do our best. Hindi naman sila invincible.”

Meanwhile, spotless National U Lady Bulldogs seeks to finish off the DLSU Lady Archers in their own best title series and seal a three-peat over in the women’s division at 11 a.m.