MANILA, Philippines—A breathtaking opening number, a year-long losing streak broken and a storied rivalry renewed are just some of the highlights in the opening weekend of the 71st Season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) which opened last weekend at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Filipiniana-inspired opening ceremonies of host school the University of the Philippines kept the fans glued on their seats in amazement. The Maroon performers which included the Cheerdance champions the UP Pep Squad represented the participating schools as diwatas and traditional Filipino games like tumbang-preso and patintero, among others, were depicted.
The University of Santo Tomas was also cited for being the over-all champions in the seniors and juniors division of the season 70.
Tamaraws get first win
And now for the hoop action, the first game pitted a dangerous FEU Tamaraws squad against a resurgent Adamson Falcons team. The game was tightly contested until the final minutes when the Falcons seemed to have grabbed control of the game against the more experienced Tamaraws.
But crucial misses from the free throw line and a drive and kick-out play which resulted in a game-winning three pointer courtesy of the Tams’ Fil-German sophomore Jens Knuttel propelled FEU to a 74-71 victory.
Big man Reil Cervantes led the Tamaraws with 15 points while veteran Mark Barroca and last year’s Rookie of the Year JR Cawaling chipped in 12 and 11 markers, respectively.
But things are looking bright for the Falcons’ horizons as their rookie center Michael Galinato exploded for 22 points and 11 rebounds for his debut game, something that Adamson fans could be very excited about.
Warriors prevail over Tigers
In the following game, pre-season powerhouse the University of the East Red Warriors took on the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers.
The Warriors built a huge 14-point lead early in the third period but the Tigers slowly inched their way back into the ball game as they jacked up their defense, cutting the deficit to just two, 62-64, with a little over two minutes left.
But the Warriors proved to be the tougher team down the stretch as they hit crucial free throws to upend the Tigers, 78-73.
Forwards Elmer Espiritu and the much improved Hans Thiele paced the UE with 15 and 13 points, respectively, despite being in foul trouble most of the game.
Reigning most valuable player Jervy Cruz on the other hand led the Tigers with his usual monstrous performance, chalking up 26 points and 22 rebounds.
Manny in the UA
The following playing day started on a festive note as 23,000 fans, including senators, businessmen and celebrities packed the Big Dome to the rafters, in anticipation of not only a classic match between blood-rivals the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the De La Salle Green Archers but also of the sight of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and NBA superstar Gilbert Arenas.
UP breaks drought
But before the main game, the UP Fighting Maroons broke their year-long jinx as they finally notched their first win in over a year, trouncing the National University Bulldogs, 86-72.
The Maroons broke away in the second half as they rode the hot hands of guard Martin Reyes who exploded for a career-high 21 points.
The Bulldogs were led by veteran guard Jonathan Jankhe who had 17 markers. Explosive forward Edwin Asoro was nowhere to be found, as he struggled all night, tallying only 4 points and fouling out late in the game.
Before the main game’s tip-off, Manny Pacquiao went center court and the fans gave him a rousing standing ovation. He was given an achievement award by the UAAP and a commemorative centennial jacket by UP President Dr. Emerlinda Roman.
No ID, no play
Ateneo versus La Salle matches in the UAAP have historically been full of color and drama, and this one was no different.
Before the game even started, UAAP Commissioner Chito Narvasa slapped a technical foul to the coaching staff of the Green Archers for not wearing their IDs in the court, thus, awarding two free throws to the Blue Eagles.
However weird it seemed, the violation was clearly in the rule book, but was only the first time perhaps in league history that such a call was made.
Eagles soar over the Archers
The game was a nail-biter from start to finish. Over a dozen lead changes took place. Prized rookies in the likes of Joshua Webb for La Salle and Ryan Buenafe for the Ateneo provided impact plays and a glimpse of a bright future for both teams were seen.
But it was still the veterans who made the difference down the stretch, after trailing the Archers 61-67 with seven minutes left to play, hotshot Chris Tiu together with pesky guard Eric Salamat led the Eagles to a 10-0 run that gave Ateneo the lead for good.
Clutch free throw shooting from Tiu down the stretch coupled by an explosion from center Rabeh Al-Hussaini plus a crucial steal from Yuri Escueta off Rico Maierhofer in the dying seconds halted a La Salle rally as Ateneo carved out a 79-73 decision.
Tiu led the Eagles with 26 points with a remarkable 17 of 19 shooting from the foul line while JV Casio paced the Archers with 19.
With a fantastic opening weekend kicking off the season, things are looking very exciting in the UAAP and fans could expect more drama, and more action as the season unfolds.
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