Ateneo wins UAAP Season 73 basketball championship for a rare 3-peat!

Ateneo wins UAAP Season 73 basketball championship for a rare 3-peat!

S'71 Rookie of the Year , Ryan Buenafe , was adjudged MVP of the Finals as he top scored in the game with a season high 23 points including a booming triple in the last 22 seconds of the game that sealed this season's championship and a rare 3-peat for the Blue Eagles , 65-62!

As can be seen from the final score, the game was relatively tight with FEU getting the first quarter (22-13) and the half (31-30 , only 9 points for FEU in the 2nd Q)! Ateneo only got the lead in the 3rd Q after Monfort scored off a follow up on his missed shot!

FEU played catch up from then on until Buenafe hit that big time three from beyond the arc for a 64-59 lead . Austria then scored on 1 of 2 free throws to make it 65-59 before Cervantes scored a 3 from downtown to make it 62-65 for the final score!



Buenafe , who struggled early in the season due to alleged weight problems, thus gifted former San Sebastian College-Recoletos HS buddy, team captain Eric Salamat,with a fitting send off . Salamat , together with Rookie Jason "Jumbo" Escueta, has given his final salute to the Ateneo community and UAAP fans due to graduation!



Now , with a practically intact crew and, according to coach Norman Black, an inflow of " strong recruiting class " for S'74 ,will a four-peat be far behind? Will Ateneo win that 4-peat in S'74 to join UE , UST and DLSU as 4-peat champs? That will be interesting... remember though that UE won 7 , yes seven straight from 1965 to 1972.That would be more interesting...7 straight for Ateneo!
Expect a four-ward to S'74 for the Blue Eagles next season not only as hosts but "back-to-back-to-back-to-back" champions! My, my that's too hard to say...back-to-back-to-back-to-back...

In the meantime , Ateneo joins UE, UST , FEU and DLSU in this elite group of schools who scored 3-peats in the UAAP Men's basketball ! Go savor the sweet taste of this rare 3-peat, Blue Eagles !

One big fight!

box scores:

Ateneo (65) - Buenafe 23, Monfort 10, Salva 9, Long 7, Chua 7, Salamat 3, Golla 3, Escueta 2, Austria 1, Erram 0, Gonzaga 0, De Chavez 0


FEU (62) - Cervantes 15, Sanga 13, Ramos 9, Cawaling 8, Noundou 6, Garcia 6, Romeo 2, Exciminiano 2, Bringas 1, Cruz 0, Guerrero 0



Quarterscores: 13 - 22; 30 -31; 52 - 50; 65 - 62