Playing for one another key to Ateneo's 'Sweep 16'

MANILA, Philippines — The Ateneo Blue Eagles have achieved perfection in the UAAP Season 82 men's basketball tournament after winning their third straight title via a 16-0 sweep on Wednesday.

Being the first squad to achieve the feat in the Final Four era, it is easy to view the Blue Eagles as invincible.

But for Finals MVP Thirdy Ravena, the sweep was simply the result of the brotherhood between him and the rest of his teammates.

"Tinatanong nila, paano namin nagawa yung 16-0, yung sagot ko kanina is that our strength doesn't lie with one person, one player or one coach. It lies in all of us," Ravena said after the game.

"We want to play for one another and we preach servanthood kaya kami malakas. Kaya gumagana yung system is that because we do what we do not for ourselves, but for our teammates and for the guy beside us on the bench," he added.

The Blue Eagles clinched their third straight championship in two games against the UST Growling Tigers.

But it took a total team effort for the Blue Eagles to permanently vanquish the Tigers' challenges.

Ravena couldn't help but laud their opponents for the competitive series.

"Maraming salamat din sa UST because they gave us a tough fight. Kahit two games [lang] yun, yung two games na yun sobrang bakbakan," he said.

Ravena, along with fellow seniors Adrian Wong, Isaac Go, and brothers Mike and Matt Nieto, will hang up their Ateneo jerseys as three-time champions.