Monday, July 27, 2009

UAAP 72 Shocker: David beats Goliath

The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons battered the defending champion and erstwhile unbeaten league leader Ateneo Blue Eagles, on Sunday in what could be the biggest upset in the UAAP Season 72 seniors’ basketball tournament.

Dubbed as a “David-Goliath” match, UP maroons fought at it’s foremost performance as the third quarter commences when it managed a 14-0 run against the Blue Eagles until it was interrupted by Ateneo’s Nico Salva at 6-minute mark of the quarter but too late for them, as the momentum has clearly shifted in favor of the Maroons. (top left photo: grumpy-faced former MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini of Ateneo)

The biggest lead of UP was 11 points (65-54) during the last minutes of the ball game while Ateneo’s offense was scrambling. UP coach Aboy Castro says that winning against a tough team like Ateneo has that kind of a championship feeling. “Para kaming nag-champion”, Castro said. Final score was (68-58).

As we looked back last September 2004, the Maroons made a similar feat when it defeated the Blue Eagles in the same venue when UP was winless at 0-3 and Ateneo’s unblemished record of 3-0. UP played with more energy than the Blue Eagles; Where the latter might have been thinking that playing with the Maroons is like a walk in the park; Ateneo coach Norman Black conceded, saying that “I agree we could have played a little over-confident against UP”.

The Sunday’s drama in the UAAP actually started in the earlier match-up between DLSU and the Adamson University, when the Green Archers survived just a one point lead over the Falcons in the first over time of the season. The final deadlock of the game was at 63 points, but eventually broken down by a split charity courtesy of La Salle’s Maui Villanueva, who was fouled by Adamson rookie Eric Camson, (64-63) Final/OT. Inexperience indeed proved to be fatal for Adamson, yet another sorry loss for them, whose losses so far have all come in close games, the last was against the FEU Tamaraws.

Notes: The Green Archers and the UP Fighting Maroons have both dedicated their games in honor of the ailing former president Corazon Aquino. Ateneo also wears yellow patch on their jerseys.

Ateneo is now tied with FEU and UST in the top spot, while DLSU shares the fourth spot with UE Red Warriors.

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