|
Green Archers
make UAAP history
|
The
Green Archers celebrate their 4th straight title.
|
|
De
La Salle University - Manila makes history when it clinched
its fourth championship crown with a sweet victory over long-time
rival Ateneo de Manila University during the University Athletic
Association of the Philippines’ (UAAP) men’s basketball championship
at the Araneta Coliseum on October 16.
In a nerve-racking Game 3 of the championship series, the
Green Archers triumphed with a 93-88 win over the Blue Eagles,
with Carlo Sharma sealing La Salle’s destiny in the dying
minutes of the game.
Green Archers Mike Cortez delivered the outside firepower
while Renren Ritualo and BJ Manalo provided the formidable
support crew to bring the green and white squad to its 4-peat
triumph that redeemed La Salle’s loss to Ateneo in the 1988
finals.
DLSU System President Brother Rolando Dizon lead the Lasallian
community in celebrating the victory during the post-game
dinner held at the College Canteen. He affirmed La Salle’s
rightful place in UAAP history as the Centennial 4-peat champions.
Winning four years in a row from 1998, the Green Archers go
down in UAAP history as the first team to win in the new millenium,
an opportunity that comes along only once every one hundred
years.
Downplayed, hurled with controversies, and stricken with injuries
and illness, the Green Archers revealed the strength and power
of the Lasallian spirit amidst obstacles, emerging as the
best team in the country’s collegiate basketball league.
“This season has been really a stormy one, a very rocky one,”
coach Franz Pumaren confessed. “From the opening game till
the very end, we didn’t play as a complete unit. But with
His guidance, we were able to survive it,” he believed.
They did more than surviving though, they triumphed. “It’s
mission accomplished for me!,” Pumaren said. His four year
coaching stint redeemed the Archers from frustrating defeats
from University of Santo Tomas (UST), Far Eastern University,
and Ateneo.
Last October 19, the Lasallian community celebrated La Salle’s
historic win with an animo celebration at the DLSU-M grounds.
Four other exceptional Lasallian teams were also honored during
the event. Claiming the supreme spot in their respective fields,
the women’s basketball, men’s swimming, men’s volleyball,
and men’s chess triumphed over their UAAP counterparts.
The Lady Green Archers sealed their 3-peat victory over University
of the Philippines (UP) while the Green Spikers blocked UST’s
championship bid in men’s volleyball. Meanwhile, the Green
Tankers swam their to way a back to back championship with
UP trailing from behind. The Green wood pushers retained their
seat with a 3-peat victory in men’s chess. DLSU-M reigned
supreme in all sporting events except for women’s chess, women’s
volleyball, and women’s swimming where the school placed second.
Revealing the formidable strength of DLSU-M’s sports program,
the university leads other schools in the over-all standing
of the 64th season of UAAP.
*Photo courtesy of www.pinoycentral.com
back
to dlsu home page
|
