Sports Event Flashback : UAAP DLSU Champion four-peat champion

THE De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers proved steadier in the homestretch when they repulsed their perennial rival, Ateneo de Manila Univer- sity (AdMU) Blue Eagles, in the deciding match of the UAAP 2001 championship series. In what is known as a dream showdown of the two bitter rival schools, both squads played another classic encounter which had an overflow crowd at the Araneta Coliseum enthralled for almost two hours recently. The Blue Eagles had all the reasons to rejoice after the end of the first half as they erected an 11-point edge over the Taft-based hoopsters. But the celebration of the Ateneans was a short-lived one as the Green Archers made a heroic comeback in the second half through the heads up plays of Carlo Sharma, Mike Cortez, William Wilson and Ren-ren Ritualo. It appeared that the Blue Eagles were not used to have a big lead. Joe Lipa's charges found themselves in an unusual position. Instead of sustaining their momentum, the Blue Eagles succumbed to the pressure. They wanted to widen up their lead even more and blow out the game. But this back-fired on them. 

In the team's desire to sustain their seeming mastery of the Green Archers, Lipa forgot to use his second stringers in the second half. The Blue Eagles wanted their frontliners to finish off their rivals. They had the reason to believe in their tall players -Enrico Villanueva to the limit. They were hardly rested. So, instead of the Blue Eagles dictating the tempo of the game in the homestretch, they found themselves at the receiving end. The Green Archers capitalized on the tired lineup of Lipa. Alvarez and Villanueva were completely burnt-out for Sharma to dominate the boards - offensively and defensively. The Blue Eagles were too tired to defend or execute their own play. Not even the heroics of Tenorio, who scored a high 30 points, could save the team. Sharma appeared unmolested in the shaded lane and his teammates feasted on the Blue Eagles' collapse in the fourth period.