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By ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – The De La Salle University Green Archers and Ateneo Blue Eagles begin their clash for the UAAP Season 79 men’s seniors’ basketball title as they face off in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals today at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Game time is 3:30 p.m. with the perennial rivals Green Archers and Blue Eagles trying to move a victory closer to capturing the UAAP men’s basketball championship in what has been dubbed a “Dream Finals”.
The Green Archers are tipped as the favored team in the series after winning all except one of their 14 matches in the elimination round, while the Blue Eagles is responsible for the Green Archers lone loss this season.
Green Archers head coach Aldin Ayo said, more than the championship, their motivation heading into the finals is to avenge its 83-71 loss to the Blue Eagles last Nov. 5.
“Hindi ko nakakalimutan ‘yung Nov. 5 na ‘yun. It’s the kind of a loss na makes you ponder kung saan nag umpisa ‘yung career mo, kung gaano kahirap ‘yung mga na-experience mo before nakapunta sa (finals),” Ayo said.
“On our part, extra motivated kami (na matalo ang Ateneo) because they took something from us,” he added. “Sa La Salle kasi grabe ang expectation for a sweep kaya kahit isang talo lang, feeling naming nawala ang lahat.”
Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin, for his part, said even if their back are against the wall in the titular showdown his players will still bring on the heat for the Green Archers.
“I think we have some momentum and certainly, with some inspiration we take from (our win over the Green Archers), we are going to stand in front of them. We are not going to bow out of the way,” Baldwin said.
“We are not going to open the door for them. We are going to bloody them I’m sure as they want to bloody us,” added the former Gilas Pilipinas mentor. “We are prepared to face them soon.”
The Green Archers is expected to rely heavily on Cameroonian import Benoit Mbala, Jeron Teng, Bacolod-native Kirell Montalbo, Thomas Torres, Abu Tratter, Andrei Caracut, and rookie Aljun Melecio.
The Blue Eagles, on the other hand, will bank on Ilonggo Ferdinand “Thirdy” Ravena III, Norman Aaron Black, George Isaac Go, Adrian Wong, Anton Asistio, Chibueze Ikeh, and Matthew Nieto.
This marks the fifth time that the Green Archers and the Blue Eagles are meeting in the best-of-three finale. The last time was in 2008 when the Blue Eagles swept the Green Archers, 2-0./PN
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