MANILA, 10 October 2003 — The heartaches and lonely nights are finally over for the Far Eastern University Tamaraws.
Armed to the teeth and blessed with big fighting hearts, the Tamaraws ended five years of futility in the (UAAP) basketball tournament after beating defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles in a one-sided finals encounter.
Now they can be called champions again in the country’s top collegiate league.
Clearly, the Tamaraws’ experience and tenacious defense paid off wonderfully to cap a dominant season as they posted a 2-0 finals sweep and on the way to shattering the Eagles’ back-to-back dreams.
Actually, the Tamaraws had a frustrating preseason, finishing second in two tournaments leading up to the 66th edition of this tournament this year. They lost the Champions League to University of the East Warriors and finished second in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL).
Yet this certainly molded to become a genuine championship material.
The Morayta-based dribblers swept the best-of-three title series against the Blue Eagles who played more like a disorganized team, no thanks to a strength-sapping Final Four encounter with arch-rival La Salle Green Archers.
It was the Tamaraws’ 17th title overall and the first for coach Koy Banal, who shattered his brother Joel’s hopes of winning back-to-back titles with the Blue Eagles.
The title clincher was the Tamaraws’ first since 1997 when the team, then handled by Danny Gavieras and bannered by Ronald Magtulis and Robin Mendoza, defeated the Green Archers in the Finals.
For the record, the Tamaraws are now second only to University of the East’s 18 total. The Tamaraws won Game 1 85-63 before completing their conquest of the Blue Eagles in Game 2 69-56 before a mammoth crowd that filled every available space inside the Araneta Coliseum.
Aside from his key players, Banal also thanked all the people behind their victory including his bench players, the whole FEU community and most of all his family. “I would like to thank the FEU community for empowering us by their presence and for fulfilling my dream of filling even half of the Araneta Coliseum,” said Banal, who felt he did not have the same support when the Tamaraws went against La Salle for the title in 2000.
“I give credit to the heart of the players. They not only showed a big fighting heart, they also played with all their minds. That’s the formula to our success,” said an emotional Koy, who also dedicated the title victory to his elder brother.
The 40-year-old Koy, who was teary-eyed when he was swept into the court in the shoulders of his players, clearly outsmarted Joel in their duel on the bench.
But the victory, his first in a major tournament, was bitter-sweet for Banal, having come at the expense of his older brother.
“To be honest, I also felt sad because I won this championship by beating my brother,” said Koy, who finally claimed his first UAAP crown since taking over the head coaching chore in the 2000 season, “but I just wanna tell Joel that he influenced me a lot in my coaching. I dedicate it to Joel.”
Not wanting to be dragged into a kill-or-be-killed Game Three, the Tamaraws played with the same intensity they displayed in the finals opener to recapture their lofty billing among the marquee teams in the country’s premier collegiate league.
In Game 2, two unsung heroes rose to the occasion for the younger Banal, who broke down in tears in the final minute of the game.
The Eagles had set out as hot favorites to repeat this season after putting away the Archers in the Final Four. But against the Tamaraws, they looked like losers as early as the first few minutes of the final frame when skipper Gerard Jones gave the Tamaraws a 56-39 lead. Rookie Jeffrei Chan came off the bench to score nine points, all from beyond the three-point area that triggered the Tamaraw’s second period blitz.
The 6-foot-2 Chan, buried two quickthree-point shots in a crucial 17-4 rally that had the Tamaraws racing to a 39-26 halftime lead. Jones played true to form as he portrayed the role of a leader on and off the court for the Tamaraws, a role Banal thought the 6-foot-5 center played very well. Jones showed up wearing his old shorts when he started as a player for the Tamaraws in 1999.
RJ Rizada also played splendidly as he banged in 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks while helping contain Wesley Gonzales, one of Ateneo’s veteran gunners.
Interestingly, Rizada, who was discovered while playing for Ateneo de Davao, had a double celebration Sunday, his 21st birthday and his first UAAP title.
“We played our best this season in the finals with all our hearts,” said starting guard Dennis Miranda, 21, who finished with 10 assists in Game 2.
The Blue Eagles’ bid to extend the series seemed a very distinct possibility when they came out strong and managed to keep it a 17-all count after the first period.
The defending champions even whittled the deficit to just seven points late in the third quarter and trailed by just 50-60, with still 2:58 to go.
But the Tamaraws were simply irrepressible and held on to win. The only time the Eagles were really in contention in the second half was late in the third period when they moved within 39-46 following two free-throws by Larry Fonacier.
But just as Joel was starting to entertain thoughts of a comeback, Chan came off the bench and hit a triple a few seconds before the end of the third quarter, giving the Tamaraws a fresh 10-point edge.
