WITH A UAAP trophy already tucked away, the Ateneo Blue Eagles added yet another to their season—but this was not just any other trophy. It was a bronze masterpiece sculpted by the renowned Juan Sajid Imao, and it signified that they were the best collegiate basketball team in the nation, for the second year running.
No tournament in collegiate basketball can boast the same collection of talent assembled by the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL). Boasting a pool of 250 teams from the length and breadth of the archipelago, the PCCL’s massive undertaking of crowning a true national collegiate champion saw their tournament conclude in a sixteen team single-elimination round littered with traditional powerhouses.
Over the course of three weeks, the sixteen were whittled down to two, the Adamson Falcons and reigning UAAP and PCCL champions Ateneo Blue Eagles, assuring that the UAAP’s eight year reign atop the tournament would remain intact.
Perhaps a testament to the depth of competition, the road to the Finals for the Blue Eagles was no cakewalk.
After surviving a ten-point game against the Lyceum Pirates, a testy game in the Elite Eight against the Mapua Cardinals saw the Eagles grind out a win over their NCAA competition, despite falling behind by double digits early in the game.
A dispensing of the University of Cebu Webmasters in the Final Four gave Ateneo its easiest win of the tournament, 74-54.
The Adamson Falcons on the other hand, defeated a handful of tough opponents: the NCAA’s San Sebastian Recolectos, UAAP finalists FEU Tamaraws, and the DLSU Green Archers en route to the final.
Adamson kept their momentum rolling, proving that they were contenders in their own right. Game one of the finals saw the Eagles stumble against the Falcons, dropping a game to the San Marcelino cagers for the first time in thirteen years—a streak that peaked at twenty-eight when Ateneo eliminated Adamson in the Final Four of the UAAP.
Facing elimination, the Blue Eagles bounced back behind the inspired performance of King Eagle Eric Salamat, who hit five three pointers en route to a 24-point performance, forcing a climactic third game on December 6.
Trailing at the half of the rubber match, the Blue Eagles used a blistering third quarter to cruise out in front, paced by the outside shooting of Kirk Long and Nico Salva’s penchant for getting to the line, both of whom finished with 24 and 23 points respectively.
A late run by the Falcons would fall short, giving the Blue Eagles their second consecutive PCCL championship and third overall, the most in tournament history—and they did so without the buzzer-beating UAAP Finals MVP, Ryan Buenafe, who was excused from the tournament to focus on academics.
Moments after capturing the title, the Blue and White faithful were elated to hear that both Kirk Long and Nico Salva had been recognized as members of the tournament’s Mythical Five, with the latter capturing the tournament Most Valuable Player award.
Joining the pair of Blue Eagles would be the Adamson’s dynamic duo of Lester Alvarez and Alex Nuyles. Webmaster Junmar Fajardo would round out the all-tournament team after carrying the University of Cebu to a fourth place finish. Blue Eagles head coach Norman Black was also recognized as the tournament’s top coach.
In winning the Manuel V. Pangilinan Perpetual Trophy, Ateneo won the right to represent the Philippines in the 18th Super Kung Sheung Cup on December 14-19 in Hong Kong.
