Bulldogs topple Tams 60 yrs ago

MANILA, Philippines - The Far Eastern U Tams and National U Bulldogs square off in an ultimate throwback finale between two of the founding members of the UAAP.

Unknown to the current generation of UAAP fans, the Tams and the Bulldogs previously clashed 60 years ago for the UAAP diadem before 9,000 spectators at the fabled Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Antonio Villamor and A. de Jesus delivered the heroics in the crucial stretches to lift the NU five of coach Skip Guinto to a 41-36 victory in that 1954 titular showdown.

That was the first and only men’s basketball title so far for NU.

The Bulldogs waited 16 more years before getting a chance to capture a second diadem in 1970. But they lost to a Johnny Revilla-led and Baby Dalupan-mentored University of the East, 95-106. The Warriors completed a six-peat with this conquest.

After 44 long years, the Bulldogs are back in the finals.

The Tams have had better success than the Bulldogs, winning a league-best 19 men’s hoops titles overall. But the Morayta-based cagers haven’t enjoyed victory again after their 2005 triumph.