Ateneo sweeps UST, clinches 5th straight title

(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines – The Ateneo Blue Eagles reaffirmed their position as the most dominant college basketball team in the land, bagging their fifth straight UAAP title with a 65-62 conquest of a determined UST side at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.

Asking for an isolation play at the top of the key, Keifer Ravena rose to the occasion and nailed in another dagger to take home the championship for the Katipunan-based squad.

"You need somebody to get the ball to make some shots in the clutch moments of the game, since Kiefer has arrived he's been that man for us even last year," said ADMU coach Norman Black, who joins UE coach Baby Dalupan as the only coaches in UAAP history to win five titles.

"They really worked hard for it and I'm so proud of the boys. They deserved this championship," added Black.

Graduating senior Nico Salva won his second straight Finals Most Valuable Player award to leave Ateneo on a high note.

"In five years in Ateneo, this is the closest series we played. They (UST) are a great team. They are going to do more damage next year. I'm very thankful and blessed for this opportunity in Ateneo," said Salva.

But it was Ravena who stood out the tallest in the game. The former Rookie of the Year finished with a game-high 22 points to tow the Katipunan-based team’s successful “Drive for Five” campaign.

All along Black knew that they had to get past against the stubborn and hard-fighting UST squad when he declared even at the start of the season that they are the team to beat.

"I think it was a really tight series as I predicted at the beginning of the year in the preseason that they are the team to beat," said Black, who ends his UAAP coaching stint with a record of 110-26, all with Ateneo.

"The big difference from last game is we contained some of their players. Even though some of them scored like Fortuna, we did a good job overall defensively," he added.

Ateneo has defeated DLSU, UE, FEU twice and now UST in five successive years for the title.

The five-peat by Ateneo made the Jesuit institution the most dominant team since University of the East strung up seven straight crowns from 1965-71.

In the Final Four era, the Eagles share honors for the longest championship streak with the Tigers (1993-96) and La Salle (1998-2001).

Greg Slaughter and Juami Tiongson chipped in 15 and 10 markers, respectively, for the Eagles.

Jeric Fortuna led UST with 20 points.