THE crown will stay in Katipunan, but which side?
That will be known when reigning champion University of the Philippines and Ateneo clash one last time today in Game 3 of their finals duel as the curtains fall on the 85th UAAP basketball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The rubber match before an expected SRO crowd for all the marbles is set at 6 p.m., with the Fighting Maroons raring to bag their second straight title and score a fitting follow-up to their victory that ended a 36-year dry spell last May.
But the Blue Eagles are equally determined to avenge their defeat to UP in the Big Dance seven months ago that cut short their three-year reign and regain lost glory.
Maroons coach Goldwin Monteverde said his charges should lick their wounds fast and recover from a painful 55-65 loss to Ateneo in the second game last Wednesday.
“We didn’t start off well in Game 2, marami kaming early fouls as well as sa mga bigs namin and we were pushing na dapat mas maganda ang defense namin,” Monteverde said.
“Playing as a team in a tough situation is crucial no matter how hard it is. Championship game ito and matalo ka sa ganito siyempre hindi magiging madali for the players,” he added.
UP brought down the Eagles 76-72 in Game 1 of the race-to-2 series eight days ago.
The Maroons, however, will have to make do without prized forward Zavier Lucero, who tore his ACL in Game 2.
The likes of 6-foot-11 Senegalese import and newly minted MVP Malick Diouf, Carl Tamayo, James Spencer, JD Cagulangan, and Harold Alarcon will be counted upon by UP to deliver.
“I don’t think last season has anything to do with this season at all. I’ve already said even though the UP team looks almost exactly the same as the UP team from last year, it’s a different team,” Eagles tactician Tab Baldwin said. “They do different things. I never liked the concept of defending champion.
