Heart and desire the Tams used as morale-boost to snap the six-year title drought but it was a pesky defense that suffocated the Eagles all throughout the series and dashed whatever hopes the defending champions had when they hurdled their arch rivals — the De La Salle Archers — in a bruising Final Four duel last week.
The sweep was sweet and swift for the Tamaraws who last ascended the throne in 1997 as they overwhelmed the Eagles who were emotionally and physically spent from the gut-wrenching back-to-back duels with the Archers in the semifinals.
"I have mixed emotions," said FEU coach Koy Banal moments after his wards delivered the coup de grace following their 83-65, victory in Game One Thursday. "But this is all about heart and desire. And yes, it’s defense."
The Tams needed only one quarter to size up their rivals as the Morayta-based cagers, cashing in on their advantage in all fronts, dominated the second period and built a double-digit lead which they used as springboard to score the title-clinching victory.
So dominating were the Tams that their brass band section at the gallery was already playing their victory song as early as the fourth quarter. Even FEU players from the bench were already getting into photo-ops while their starters were busy on the mop-up operations.
But only when FEU main man Gerard Jones hugged the ball while wasting away those seconds did pandemonium break loose as the Tams whooped it up, hugging each other while Koy Banal was given the traditional victory ride on the center court.
Cesar Catli buried the Eagles with 16 points, including 12 from behind the arc, as he teamed up with Ryan Rizada and Gerard Jones in the early going before Dennis Miranda joined in the fray in the last quarter.
Efficient outside shooting also helped FEU in its romp as the Tams made nine of their three-point shots while banging in those jumpers off a set-up that broke Ateneo’s zone defense.
The biggest revelation was Jeff Chan, a rookie out of La Salle-Bacolod, who came off the bench to fire nine points, including six in the second period where the Tams broke out from a 17-all tie and into a 39-26 lead at the turn.
"My players showed they wanted this game very badly," added Koy Banal, referring to the Tams’ 18th title, one less than the UE Warriors and Santo Tomas’ collections.
The bespectacled mentor likewise dedicated the victory to his brother Joel, who was simply outfoxed in their much hyped-up duel.
The Tams likewise cited the week-long rest they had and the Eagles’ exhausting series with the Archers in their title-victory watched by a record crowd of over 18,000, surpassing the league’s previous title matches of 15,000-16,000 as per Big Dome’s records.
Truly, the Tams were in total control of the match, actually the series, thanks largely to a choking defense that shackled Ateneo’s top guns like LA Tenorio, Rich Alvarez and Wesley Gonzales.
Three days after limiting Tenorio to seven points, the Tams again put the Ateneo ace playmaker’s game out of sync with a solid defense that forced him to launch harried shots. Tenorio managed to score 11 points but missed 10 three-point attempts.
Alvarez, for his part, failed to get his game going as the dreaded frontline rotation of Arwind Santos, Mark Isip and Jones made life miserable for him inside the shaded line.
The Tams also shackled Gonzales no end as the Ateneo wingman was held to just two foul shots and a nightmarish 0-of-8 shooting from the perimeter, courtesy of the combined defensive efforts by RJ Rizada, Rhagnee Sinco, Jeff Chan, Miranda and Catli.