Bragging rights up for grabs

It’s always special when La Salle and Ateneo are locked in some kind of competition. Whether in the board room. Or the courtroom. Or the classroom. Or on the basketball floor.

Nothing beats the fury of an intense rivalry. Like the Boston Celtics versus Los Angeles Lakers in the vintage days of the National Basketball Association. Or Crispa versus Toyota in the early years of the Philippine Basketball Association. Or Muhammad Ali versus Sonny Liston.

In such a confrontation, there are no fencesitters. You take sides because that’s the fun – and the thrill – of it.

When the Green Archers and the Blue Eagles take to the court, the fans come out in droves. Not just the school officials, faculty, students, and loyal graduates. But even unattached basketball fans because they know they’re in for a battle royale.

The drama in a La Salle-Ateneo duel is unnerving. Pride is at stake. Bragging rights are up for grabs and to some, that’s the more important thing. It’s a healthy rivalry, to be sure. Expect the Archers and the Eagles to play their guts out when they’re ranged against each other.

And now that La Salle and Ateneo are the last two teams standing in the race for the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) seniors basketball championship, imagine the adrenalin pumping in the veins of the opposing players.

Both squads deserve to be in the best-of-3 finals. La Salle zoomed to a 12-2 record in the double round eliminations, losing only to the University of the East (UE) and National University. Then, the Archers clinched a finals slot by repulsing the Bulldogs, 111-85, in the semis. Ateneo posted a 10-4 mark in the elims, losing to La Salle twice, University of Santo Tomas (UST), and the University of the Philippines, before ousting Far Eastern University (FEU), 67-63, in the semis to advance to the finals.

The Archers are favored to make it four titles in a row. The stats show glaring evidence. First, La Salle trounced Ateneo twice, 91-76 and 76-63, in the elims. And second, coach Franz Pumaren’s boys lead the league in scoring (81.9 points), three-point shooting (34.8 percent), field goal percentage (46.3 percent – no other team shot over 40), and second chance points (11.1).

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But don’t count out the Eagles who enjoy playing the underdog’s role. So what if La Salle is favored? Ateneo likes bucking the odds and does a good job of it. In the semis, coach Joe Lipa’s charges came back from a 12-point deficit starting the fourth period to scuttle the Tamaraws in a fiery finish. If La Salle is awesome in offense, the Eagles are tough in defense. Ateneo ranks behind only UST in points allowed at 67 – 11 lower than what La Salle gives up a game.

Three Archers are averaging double figures in scoring – RenRen Ritualo (19.0), Mark Cardona (16.0), and Mike Cortez (10.3). Only two Ateneans, in contrast, are in the twin-digit list – Enrico Villanueva (16.9) and Rainier Sison (10.9). But in the players’ honor roll – based on statistical points – two Eagles are on top of the list, Villanueva and last year’s MVP Rich Alvarez.

In the finals, you throw out the stats sheets and start from scratch. It’s a whole new ballgame. The emotions and the intensity take the competition to a higher level.

Since Pumaren started coaching La Salle in 1998, Ateneo has beaten the Archers only twice in eight games. The Eagles beat the Archers once in 1999 and once more last year. Both teams qualified the Final Four in those seasons – Ateneo, however, failed to make it to the Last Dance while La Salle went all the way. The twist is while Ateneo has so far not beaten La Salle this year, the Eagles are in the Finals and itching to pay back the Archers.

Ateneo joined the UAAP in 1978 after bolting the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). La Salle also left the NCAA to join the UAAP in 1986.

In 1987, the Eagles won the first of two UAAP championships under coach Cris Calilan. It was their first taste of a title since the Eagles won back-to-back NCAA crowns in 1975 and 1976 behind such stars as Steve Watson, Padim Israel, Joy Carpio, Fritz Gaston, and Louie Rabat. The 1987 squad was bannered by Jun Reyes, Eric Reyes, Alex Araneta, Danny Francisco, Nonoy Chuatico, Jayvee Gayoso, Joseph Canlas, Joseph Nieto, and Olsen Racela. Among the UAAP stalwarts that campaign were Dindo Pumaren, Dickie Bachmann, and Joey Santamaria of La Salle, Jerry Codiñera, Bong Ravena and Boysie Zamar of UE, Gerry Esplana, Jack Tanuan, and Andy de Guzman of FEU, and Alfrancis Chua, Bobby Jose, Gido Babilonia, and Udoy Belmonte of UST.

Ateneo registered a 13-1 record in the elims and beat UE, 94-92, for the title.

In 1988, Gaston took over the Ateneo reins from Calilan and piloted the Eagles to a second straight title. The Loyola squad raced to a 12-2 mark in the elims then beat La Salle, 76-70, for the championship. In the final game, Jun Reyes hit 19 points for Ateneo and Dindo Pumaren shot 24 for the Archers whose coach was brother Derick. During the elims, La Salle defeated Ateneo, 78-76, but couldn’t duplicate the feat when it mattered most. Gaston’s nucleus was the same as the core that took Ateneo to the throne the year before.

After 13 years, the Eagles are back in the finals. It’s been a long while but worth the wait because if Ateneo flies to the top, the Eagles will do it at the Archers’ expense.

For La Salle, what drives the Archers is the thought of building a dynasty. They accomplished a three-peat last year — now, they’re going four-ward.