Ateneo, La Salle meet again in finals

Isaac Go. Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATED) For the second consecutive season, it will be the Ateneo de Manila University facing off against the De La Salle University in the UAAP finals.

This, after the top-seeded Blue Eagles weathered a gutsy, brave effort by Far Eastern University (FEU) in a winner-takes-all Final 4 game, 88-84, in overtime on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

It marked the first overtime game of the UAAP Season 80 men's basketball tournament, as 40 minutes proved insufficient to settle the score between the Tamaraws and the Blue Eagles. At the end of the day, however, Ateneo repeated its achievement in Season 79 – ousting FEU in a heart-stopping contest to set up a best-of-three finals showdown against the Green Archers.

"We were ready to play a close game, and that's what happened," said Ateneo coach Sandy Arespacochaga. "Of course, credit to our players who never gave up and stayed focused and stuck to the game plan."

"There were ups and downs, but what a great game," he added. "We're happy that our players experienced that. We could see their growth in the game, and we're happy they got to experience that."

Author: Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News
Full Article: http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/11/22/17/uaap-ateneo-la-salle-meet-again-in-finals