After DLSU wins a game for the ages, will we see a new UAAP dynasty?

We expected a great Game 3 of the UAAP Season 76 Finals and got more than we asked for. Eventual champions La Salle Green Archers and the hard-fighting UST Growling Tigers did not disappoint us as the two squads battled for 45 minutes of first-class college basketball. If you blinked, you would have missed some of the dazzling action.

Well, it was a fitting ending to a magnificent season. Not only was this season one of the most competitive in recent years. It was also one not wanting in drama and controversy, as so much color has embraced the basketball tournament.

From the very beginning, the experts have agreed to disagree on which team was likely to win the season’s crown. Except for UP and Adamson, the six other member schools were all believed to have equal chances of bagging the title.

Yes there were surprises and disappointments. But in the end, the two best teams were left to contest the UAAP championship.

From the get go, you could see the fire in the eyes of both sides. Both teams played excellent defense that neither of them were able to build a big lead, unlike in the first two games. The first quarter ended with the Tigers ahead, 18-16. For me, the first period was about UST’s post defense.

The second quarter was about the Tigers refusing to be outrebounded by the taller Archers. In Game 2, they were badly beaten off the boards, which resulted to their defeat. This time, they did a great job in tapping the ball to a teammate’s hands instead of trying to outrebound La Salle. Amazingly, UST had 11 offensive boards in this quarter alone. They only had ten in the whole of Game 2.

The first half was about Jeric Teng and UST’s half court defense. Teng was a man on a mission - scoring, defending, and leading. And the rest of the Tigers responded to his call. They wanted the victory. They took the lead at halftime, 32-24.

In the third canto, the Tigers got off to another good start. Jeric continued the onslaught and towed his team to a 40-25 lead, with 6:30 on the clock. This was the biggest lead of the game.

For a moment, it looked like the inexperienced and young Archers were about to throw in the towel. The sea of green was silent. UST was doing everything right. The Thomasian gallery was in pandemonium.

But the Archers have had one too many heartbreaks previously to just let this one hurt them again. And the Tigers momentarily let down their guard.

Arnold Van Opstal hit back-to-back shots in the post to start the DLSU rally. Then Jeron, the other Teng, decided it was his time to lead his team against his brother’s charges. He cut the UST lead down to seven with a forceful baseline drive, before another DLSU assault trimmed it further to five.

The Tigers tried to make a new run but just could not convert on their shots. Then, veteran guard Almond Vosotros did what he does best – unload a booming triple from way out – to slice the deficit to just four, 42-26, with 1:42 left in the third period. Another defensive stop by the Archers ignited a 4-on-3 fast break for a telling 19-6 blitz, to come to within two, 44-46. Another defensive stop by La Salle followed before sophomore guard Thomas Torres connected on a trey from the corner to wrest the lead for La Salle, 47-46, with 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

ALSO READ: Jeron says title win "bittersweet", feels for brother Jeric

At this point, the Tigers again were in disarray, reminiscent of Game 2. They made some hurried shots to end the quarter, but failed. Fortunately, rookie playmaker Sheak Sheriff got the offensive board and threw a desperation heave at the buzzer that went in. UST retained the lead, 48-47. It was the seventh lead change in the game.

Then the magical fourth quarter came. Both teams gave everything on the floor. The big guns took turns taking charge. UST erected a couple of five-point leads. But the Archers kept charging back.

Fast forward to the last two minutes.

La Salle got another taste of the lead at the 1:03 mark of the payoff period, after another barreling drive by Jeron, 65-63. With 53 ticks left, Aljon Mariano was sent to the foul line for two free throws. He coolly sank both pressure-packed shots to tie the count at 65-all.

The Archers had two chances to finish off the Tigers but made two errors, one by AVO and the other by Jeron. UST retained the rock with just six seconds remaining in regulation. Coach Pido Jarencio, the 2006 champion coach, called the time out for the all-important play that could give him a second UAAP ring in seven years.

But the Archers knew the play was either for Jeric or Karim Abdul. They did an excellent job in denying both players. Mariano got the inbound pass. He had a lackluster season unlike last year. With just six seconds left, he figured he could win it all for his alma mater, and all that mediocre season would suddenly turn into gold. And so he took the big shot. It had a good line. He made several of the same shots before. But it was a quarter inch short. Overtime.

At this point, both sides were slowly losing steam. Both coaches limited their player rotation. One after another, the players were getting the cramps. The overtime period was starting to look ugly, marred by forced shots and turnovers from both sides.

The first basket in the extra period was a lay-up by Vosotros after a loose ball play, 67-65 for DLSU. Jarencio asked for an isolation post play for Kevin Ferrer. Brilliant move. 67-all, 1:15 left in the game.

UST makes a stop. Jarencio directs another post play, this time for Jeric, against Vosotros. Jeric did a tough fade away shot for the 69-67 UST lead with only 34 seconds remaining.

Jeron takes charge and draws a foul from Mariano. He sinks the first but bungles the second.

Mariano got the loose ball but was trapped in the corner. He spots Ferrer on the weak side but his pass was off target. Crucial turnover.

The ensuing play became the play of the game. Jeron attacks the hoop and draws all defenders to him, leaving Vosotros open. Vosotros makes his favorite move – a shot fake and one-dribble J. Swoosh. La Salle now up, 70-69.

Abdul misses on his penetration and LA Revilla recovers the leather. UST sends him to the stripe. He makes one of two for a 71-69 La Salle lead.

Abdul attacks coast-to-coast but Jeron taps the ball out. Upon video review, the officials gave the possession to the Tigers, with only 2.3 seconds to go. Abdul finds himself wide open from mid-range but muffs his third attempt in a row.

And the rest is history.

After the game, Mariano received a lot of flak in social networks for his end game boo boos in Game 3. Some even suggested that he deliberately tried to lose the game. But I strongly disagree. Aljon has won many games for UST in the past. But since he has struggled this season, he needed one big play to bring him back to hero status. His last shot in regulation almost made its mark. He could have been the hero for the Tigers.

ALSO READ: Mariano: I just made a wrong decision

The only problem was that he decided to take matters in his hands instead of following instructions to hit Abdul or Teng at the post. The passing error in overtime was a forced turnover because of La Salle’s defense. He was trapped near the corner. He saw Ferrer in the weak side and threw the errant pass. But he was in a tough spot and it was not easy to make the long pass to the other side of the court where Ferrer was. Both players were tired, and Mariano was under time pressure to get the ball to the UST frontcourt. If Ferrer were still fresh, he could have still recovered the ball even when the pass was off target. Or if a teammate tried to approach Mariano, he could have issued an easier pass. But it’s all water under the bridge now. Mariano does not deserve any of the accusations.

Anyway, we were all treated to a wonderful championship game. What a way to end a magical UAAP season, especially that Game 3 also registered a record crowd draw of 23,305 at the Mall of Asia Arena, the highest ever in the league.

We hope that next season will be another exciting one, and filled with surprises.

UST vowed to return stronger next year with an almost intact roster. I also saw some promising players in the training teams of Ateneo, UE, FEU and NU.

But wait. I learned that none of the current UAAP champs is leaving the team. This means all 13 Green Archers will be back next year, plus some prized recruits.

Could this be the start of a Green Dynasty?