The DLSU Lady Judokas emerged as champion in this year’s UAAP Judo tournament, ending the school’s 21-year title drought. The Green Judokas finished third. Final Standings
The Lady Shuttlers lost to ADMU 1-4 in Game 1 of their championship series last Sunday. Game 2 will be this Wednesday.
The Lady Paddlers will have the thrice-to-beat edge in the Table Tennis finals this Thursday.
The Green Paddlers meanwhile will be facing UST in the semis tomorrow. They have the twice-to-beat advantage.
The Lady Archers look to finally get its first championship in 11 years tomorrow against NU. Game time is at 11am at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
La Salle won 4 straight titles from 1999 to 2002, the first three under current coach Juno Sauler.
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DLSU will be facing familiar foe in the UAAP Senior’s basketball finals.
The UST defeated top-seed NU last Saturday to become the first number 4 seed to make it to finals.
The Green Archers and the Growling Tigers faced each other 4 times in the finals during the 90s (More about this classic rivalry in our upcoming article)
Here are articles about the championship series published around the web.
UAAP coaches: It’s La Salle’s height vs. UST’s heart
From Yahoo Sports
The Green Archers have emerged the odds-on favorites, buoyed by a plethora of skilled big men in 6-foot-7 Arnold Van Opstal, 6-foot-6 Norbert Torres and 6-foot-4 but wide-bodied rookie Jason Perkins.
That solid frontline gives La Salle a decisive edge in the best-of-three affair against the relatively smaller UST crew in the eyes of four other league coaches, namely Nash Racela of Far Eastern U, University of the East’s Boycie Zamar, Leo Austria of host Adamson and University of the Philippines’ Rey Madrid.
But taking the Growling Tigers lightly might backfire, especially with the way UST dethroned five-time champion Ateneo and overhauled a twice-to-beat disadvantage against top-seeded National U in the semifinals.
“It’s a tough series between a dominating team and a team that plays with all heart,” noted Racela, whose wards, the Tamaraws, succumbed to the Green Archers in their semifinals battle last week.
“La Salle has the size advantage which I think can be neutralized if (Karim) Abdul finds a way to stay on the court. But it’s hard to beat the machinery of La Salle,” he added.
Austria, the outgoing mentor of the Falcons, had the same observation, adding the Green Archers have clearly grasped the system of head coach Juno Sauler.
Sibling rivalry highlights La Salle-UST finals clash
From Yahoo Sports
This is the first time in recent UAAP history that two brothers will play on opposing teams in the UAAP finals, and this development no doubt pleased Alvin and his wife Susan. “Siyempre masayang-masaya ako,” he told Yahoo! Philippines while waiting for his Jeric to emerge from UST’s dugout.
And no matter what happens Alvin is already proud of his sons’ achievements, saying: “Kahit sino manalo sa kanila, champion na sila parehas para sa amin.”
A known bruiser in the pro ranks during his heyday, Alvin also disclosed their family will be on neutral ground in the finals. “Basta maglaro lang sila ng maayos. Pride ng kanilang school ang nakataya dyan. Basta suporta lang kami sa kanilang dalawa. Kung sino makaka-shoot, cheer lang kami,” he said.
UAAP Finals Preview: A Perfect Match
From Yahoo Sports
From the very start, we knew this season was going to be special. It was believed to be the most competitive in recent years, with six teams having almost equal chances of coveting the basketball title. In fact, there was no team that was considered as the hands down heavy favorite. The so called experts debated on who was going to rule this season, and most were not even sure about their choices.
Who would have thought defending five-peat champions Ateneo Blue Eagles would not make it to the semis, and UE too, after bagging the Fil-Oil Cup plum? The last four standing – NU, La Salle, FEU and UST – deserved the crack at the title, and any two of them could have made a dream finale.
But in the end, the two teams that survived were also the toughest this year, having gone through the fire earlier in the tournament. The Green Archers were criticized in several games during the first round for their inability to close out games that they’ve dominated in the first three quarters. The Growling Tigers groped for form in several games due to the absence of the injured Jeric Teng.
La Salle entered the second round with a renewed spirit and has not lost a single game since. UST, the No. 4 squad in the semis defied the odds and defeated the No. 1 team NU Bulldogs twice to return to the UAAP finals.
When the smoke cleared, the two hungriest teams were left to slug it out for the top prize. This makes a perfect match.
Teng vs Teng inevitable but Jeron expects to see more of ‘physical’ Ferrer
From Spin.ph
“Hindi rin maiiwasan na magbantayan kami (Jeric) lalo na kapag mag-switch,” said Jeron Teng, although he was quick to admit that he expects to see more of Ferrer when the best-of-three finals tips off Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Ferrer was one of the key players in UST’s landmark victories over top-seed National University when he put the clamps on Bobby Ray Parks in the Final Four.
Although Jeron is not trying to compare himself with the two-time Most Valuable Player, he made clear that he is just preparing for any eventuality.
“Ineexpect ko rin si Kevin Ferrer. Mang-aasar talaga siya. ’Yun ang ineexpect ko,” said Jeron Teng minutes after UST’s upset victory on Saturday.
Fit-again Jeric Teng believes unsinkable Tigers destined to make UAAP history
From Spin.ph
“We feel blessed and we feel grateful kay God, He made this possible. Pero when we won Game One (against NU), sabi ko talaga sa kanila (teammates ko), ‘Tayo `yung unang gagawa ng history na tatalo sa number one (seed),” he recalled.
Despite being sidelined for almost a month due to a shoulder injury and later on, by a pulled hamstring, the 2009 Rookie of the Year never lost hope that UST will make the Finals again opposite La Salle and younger brother Jeron Teng.
“Noong bumalik ako from my injury, sabi ko sana kahit papano, kung ano man mangyari, sa Finals sana mag La Salle-UST,” he said.
“Pero andon na rin naman tayo sana championship na,” added the older of the Teng siblings.
The King Tiger, however, admitted his teammates wanted it more than last year, where they reached the Finals only to lose to Ateneo via a two-game sweep.
“Sa pinagdaanan namin this year, mas gusto namin manalo this year than last year,” he disclosed, citing the struggles the Tigers had to endure this season.
Jeron says sorry to Jeric in advance, vows to deny brother a fitting farewell
From Spin.ph
Jeron Teng only has a few words for his brother Jeric ahead of their showdown in the UAAP Season 76 men’s basketball finals.
“I’m sorry.”
The go-to guy of De La Salle, the younger Teng said he is saying sorry in advance because he plans to deny the University of Santo Tomas Tigers a championship on his older brother’s final year in college.
“I want to win for the LaSallian community, the alumni, and management,” said Jeron during a press conference organized by their management group on Monday night. “They really supported us. You must give it back to them by winning the championship.”
“Kaya nga I’m sorry na agad,” the younger Teng said in jest.
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Kobe Paras is FIBA 3×3 U-18 worlds slam dunk king
From Rappler.com
Promising PH youth player Kobe Paras reigned supreme in the FIBA 3×3 U-18 World Championships dunk contest after delivering one highlight slam after another, besting USA’s Demonte Flannigan and Spain’s Antonio Morales in the finals at the Merdeka Square on Sunday, September 29.
The high-flying La Salle Greenhills star scored a perfect 30 points on his first 3 dunks in the championship round before wounding up with a total of 117 points to beat the Spanish and American challengers.
From his very first dunk, Paras already set the tone for a colorful night after bringing a motorcycle to the hardcourt. To make the slam more special, his teammate, UAAP Juniors MVP Thirdy Ravena, sat on the bike before Paras went baseline for a thunderous finish.
Paras’ second dunk was even more spectacular, jumping off two players — Ravena and a cager from Spain — and finishing with a one-handed tomahawk.
Paras amassed 30 points each on both dunks.