Wednesday’s UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament game between the La Salle Green Archers and Ateneo Blue Eagles at the SM Mall of Asia Arena was the 100th in the green vs. blue rivalry—and it more or less delivered its fair share of drama and tension.
But, according to La Salle’s Doy Dungo, the Green Archers did not put too much emphasis on the magnitude of their historic rivalry game.
La Salle Focused on Winning
For decades, the La Salle-Ateneo rivalry has been among those that defined the UAAP. But none of that fazed today’s Green Archers since they didn’t really talk about any of it, according to Dungo, who finished with 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. Instead, the focus in the locker room was solely on how to beat the red-hot Blue Eagles.
“Sa amin naman parang hindi na namin napag-usapan sa locker room ‘yun, so kami nag-focus lang kami sa mga prinepare namin, kung ano ‘yung mga tendencies ng mga kalaban,” Dungo told Rebanse. “’Yung mga teammates namin hindi namin masyado prinepressure sarili namin para ‘yun nga, maganda ‘yung ipakita namin sa court.”
Wednesday’s encounter was a close battle for much of the game, with Ateneo attempting to mount a late comeback behind Jared Bahay and Shawn Tuano.
However, the championship pedigree of Jacob Cortez, JC Macalalag, and the rest of the Green Archers was evident as they made timely defensive stops and knocked down crucial baskets to preserve an 83-76 victory and improve to 3-2.
Coming into the game, Ateneo held a 50-49 advantage. A focused La Salle side tied it up after an inspired effort.
Another Rival Up Next
It will be back-to-back rivalry games for the Green Archers as they will face the UP Fighting Maroons. The two squads have become bitter rivals in recent years, meeting in the finals in Seasons 86, 87, and 88, with La Salle winning twice.
But if the Green Archers’ approach to Ateneo is any indication, Dungo and his teammates likely won’t be talking about this rivalry, too. Instead, they will be focusing on how to beat their other rivals from Katipunan.
