Taon ng Blue Eagles

MANILA, Philippines — Winalis ng nagdedepensang Ateneo Blue Eagles ang University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 2-0, sa best-of-three title series upang masungkit ang pang-sampung titulo overall at pang-apat na back-to-back championships sa  Season 81 UAAP men’s basketball tournament.

Umani si Thirdy Ravena ng career-high 38 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists at 3 steals para pangunahan ang 99-81 panalo sa Game Two kasunod ng kanyang 21 points, 10 rebounds at 9 assists sa 88-79 panalo sa Game One laban sa Fighting Maroons.

Nag-averaged ng mahigit 28 points si Ravena sa Finals kaya hinirang siyang  Finals MVP, ang kanyang ikalawang sunod matapos masungkit ang parehong award sa Finals noong nakaraang taon laban sa DLSU Green Archers kung saan nagwagi rin sila sa best-of-three, 2-1.

Sa kanilang sampung championships,  nalampasan na ng Blue Eagles ang arch-rival Green Archers sa may pinakamaraming titulo sa UAAP men’s basketball. Ang Green Archers ay mayroon lamang siyam na korona.

Nanatili pa rin ang Far Eastern University Tamaraws bilang most  winningest  team sa UAAP men’s basketball tourney sa kanilang 21 championships simula noong 1939 at pumapangalawa naman ang University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers at University of the East Red Warriors sa parehong tig-18 titles. Pang-apat ang Ateneo (10) at pang-lima ang La Salle (9).

Marami ang nagsasabi na malakas pa rin ang Blue Eagles sa Season 82 dahil si Anton Asistio lamang ang mawawala kaya mananatili ang core-group sa pangungu­na nina Ravena at 6’10 Ivorian center Angelo Kouame.

“First of all, back-to-back doesn’t look so important when you put it next to five in a row. It looks like a little bump on the road compared to that mountain they did,” sabi ni New Zealander coach Tab Baldwin patungkol  sa five-straight championships  ng Blue Eagles mula 2008 hanggang 2012 sa panahon ni coach Norman Black.

Ayaw sabihin ni coach Baldwin na nagtatayo na sila ng dynastiya sa UAAP, ngunit bilang kampeon wala namang sinuman na gustong bibitiwan ang korona.

“We want to pursue excellence and I guess, a championship is one measure of excellence. We hope that we continue to have more championships in the future,” dagdag ni Baldwin na makasama pa rin sa koponan sina Matt Nieto, Mike Nieto, Raffy Verano, Isaac Go, Gian Mamuyac at Jolo Mendoza.

Ang hangarin ni Baldwin ay sinusuportahan naman ng 20-anyos rookie na si Kouame na mayroon pang apat na taong nalalabi sa UAAP.

“I want four more championships! That's the goal, who's gonna deny that? I still have four more years to stay. So hopefully those four years will be good,” pahayag ni  Kouame.