The Blue and the Green

There isn’t anything quite like the enduring rivalry between La Salle and Ateneo in college basketball to lure over 20,000 fans to the Araneta Coliseum. It’s a rivalry that brings to the mind the classic encounters of Toyota and Crispa, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, Alydar and Affirmed, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier and lately, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Nothing stirs the passions more than an Ateneo-La Salle game, whether or not a championship is at stake. Imagine the escalation of emotions when a title is up for grabs. The fact that outstanding graduates from both schools walk the corridors of power in government and the private sector only makes the rivalry more intense. The battle for bragging rights goes beyond the campus.

In the Philippine context, the Blue and the Green are colors that are associated with school partisanship. Because La Salle and Ateneo are two of the country’s top universities with solid programs in academics and sports, it’s to be expected that whenever they compete for honors, the conflict is fierce, furious and frenzied.

Even the New York Times took notice of the rivalry as writer Raphael Bartholomew recently authored a piece relating the “feud” to a national passion.

“The question of which institution provides a superior education is a toss-up – the tiebreakers take place on the basketball court,” said Bartholomew.

Ateneo and La Salle began their hoops one-upmanship in the NCAA. They faced off for the NCAA title in 1939-40 with the Green Archers clinching their first-ever crown via a 27-23 decision. The Blue Eagles had previously captured five championships dating back to 1928-29.

Historians recall that the 1939-40 title game was where the rivalry took root.

La Salle graduate Tony Atayde said Eddie Mendieta, a La Salle player, remembered it was the season when the Archers started using the term “animo” to describe their fighting spirit.

The teams didn’t meet again for the NCAA championship until 1958 with Ateneo gaining sweet revenge in a 105-103 cliffhanger. Among the Eagles who soared high that year were Cris Arroyo, Bobby Littaua, Ando Hernaez, Ed Ocampo, Jimmy Pestanlo, Dodie Agcaoili, Dodo Martelino, Boogie Pamintuan, Tony Jose and Mike Jalandoni. Anchoring the Archers were Kurt Bachmann and Dominador Sevillano, who led La Salle to the crown in 1956-57.

It took another 16 years before La Salle and Ateneo figured in another title clash. This time, the Archers prevailed, 90-80, with Lim Eng Beng, Mike Bilbao, Julee Lim, Doy Escober, Alex Malixi and Dindo Guevara leading the charge to bag the title in 1974-75.

Although the title games came few and far between, there were several memorable contests etched in NCAA history. Atayde said late in the 1969-70 season, powerhouse Ateneo was upset by lightly regarded La Salle in a squeaker where Eagles star Chito Afable missed two crucial free throws down the stretch. Ateneo’s lineup listed the likes of Joy Cleofas, Marte Samson, Francis Arnaiz and Ricky Palou. Undaunted, the Eagles bounced back to claim the title.

In 1978, Ateneo left the NCAA and joined the UAAP. La Salle took off from the NCAA in 1981 and made its UAAP debut in 1986-87. Ateneo was clearly the more dominant team in the NCAA with 14 seniors titles compared to La Salle’s five. But in the UAAP, the Archers have been on target a lot more with eight pennants to Ateneo’s three.

La Salle and Ateneo have squared off for the UAAP crown only thrice so far. The first encounter was in 1988 with the Eagles downing the Archers, 75-66, in the title match at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Ateneo graduate Mico Halili, now a PBA broadcaster, recounted that the rivalry was fueled by the backcourt matchup between Jun Reyes and Dindo Pumaren who both went on to enjoy PBA careers. Fritz Gaston coached the Ateneo squad whose mainstays included Danny Francisco, Jayvee Gayoso, Joseph Canlas, Eric Reyes, Jet Nieto, Gene Afable and Alex Araneta. La Salle’s stalwarts were Pumaren, Dickie Bachmann, Richard del Rosario, Jun Limpot, Johnedel Cardel, Jonas Mariano, Rafa Dinglasan, Joey Santamaria and Eddie Viaplana with Derick Pumaren as coach.

“I’ll never forget at halftime of the championship game, Ateneo’s pep squad showed up with a live eagle,” said Halili. “Randy and Rowell Santiago led the Archers in cheering.” The competition was just as intense in the bleachers as on the court.

In 2001-02, La Salle took its turn in the driver’s seat at Ateneo’s expense. La Salle took Game 1 in the best-of-three finals. Ateneo leveled the count before the Archers prevailed, 93-88, to clinch the title. The Eagles posted a double-digit lead at the half but couldn’t hold off the Archers despite L.A. Tenorio’s 30 points. Rich Alvarez was named MVP even as the Eagles lost in the finals. Others in coach Joe Lipa’s Ateneo cast included Magnum Membrere, Paolo Bugia, Larry Fonacier and Enrico Villanueva. The Archers counted on Mike Cortez, RenRen Ritualo, MacMac Cardona, Joseph Yeo, Willie Wilson, Adonis Sta. Maria, Mac Cuan and B.J. Manalo.

It was La Salle coach Franz Pumaren’s fourth straight title since taking over the Archers reins in 1997-98.

In 2002-03, Ateneo beat La Salle in another best-of-three finals that went the distance. Joel Banal piloted the Eagles whose roster listed Villanueva (MVP), Alvarez, Fonacier, J. C. Intal, Doug Kramer, Jec Chia and Epok Quimpo. The Archers included Cardona, Cortez, Yeo, Sta. Maria and Carlo Sharma.

La Salle was the odds-on favorite to retain the throne and raced to a 13-0 record before the Eagles snapped the streak in the last game of the eliminations. In the best-of-three finals, Ateneo drew first blood, 72-70, then La Salle returned the favor, 85-77, before the Eagles closed it out, 77-70.

Halili said Cortez faltered in Game 3, compiling more turnovers than points and unlikely hero Quimpo nailed a killer triple to ice it. But Halili added the highlight of the finals was Fonacier’s two blocks on Cardona to preserve the close win in Game 1. What was more remarkable in Ateneo’s victory was Membrere and Bugia, two vital cogs in the Eagles machine, failed to suit up during the season because of injuries.

In all, La Salle has beaten Ateneo in 34 of 59 games since 1986. Last year, the bitter rivals tangled in five matches, including three in the post-season, with Ateneo winning three, 80-77, 89-87 and 76-75 and La Salle, two, 70-69 and 65-60. The Archers’ wins, however, were more telling as the first triumph sealed second place in the playoffs and a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals and the next advanced La Salle to the finals.

Ateneo alumnus Robin Tong put into perspective the timeless rivalry.

“For all their supposed differences, Ateneans and La Sallians are veritable ‘twin sons of different mothers,’ to quote the title of an album by Tim Weisberg and Dan Fogelberg,” he said. “There is nothing like an Ateneo-La Salle game. It doesn’t really matter which team is seeded because rankings and stats go out the window whenever these two teams collide. That’s why the Araneta Coliseum is jam-packed every time these two storied teams meet because anything can happen.”