The Archers trailed, 78-79, until they came up with three defensive gems in the final two minutes to score the victory and move just three wins away from recording a rare 14-game sweep of the elims, and an outright trip to the finals.
If La Salle beats FEU, UP and Ateneo in its last three games, the Archers will automatically earn a twice-to-beat advantage in the finals. The No. 3 and 4 teams will meet in a one-game playoff with the winner facing the No. 2 squad for the second finals berth.
Santo Tomas scored a 14-game sweep of the elimination round in 1993 and was automatically declared champion. The following year, the Final Four format, patterned after the US NCAA, was introduced in the UAAP.
The Warriors went into the game armed with an eight-game winning streak, and came close to becoming the first team to beat the Archers this year. But a La Salle steal on Arnold Booker, an eight-second violation and an inbounds error in the final two minutes did them in.
"When we started to calm down and put the pressure on them, the complexion of the game changed and went in our favor. That’s championship composure," said Franz Pumaren, trying to become the first La Salle coach to win five straight titles.
"But credit should go to Carlo Sharma," added Pumaren as he singled out the team sophomore who had 24 points and over a dozen rebounds, more than making up for the absence of injured slotman Manny Ramos.
Earlier, Far Eastern University kept its Final Four hopes alive as it routed National University, 95-68, for its fifth win in 11 outings.
Rhagnee Sinco dished out a monster game, finishing with 27 points and 12 rebounds to personally deal the Bulldogs their 11th setback against a lone victory.
In the juniors division, Ateneo led from start to finish as it downed Santo Tomas, 78-69, while UE proved steadier down the stretch to beat La Salle, 71-67.