By Alder T. Almo (uaapsports.com)

Manila – Two teams with contrasting styles eye a piece of history when the 72nd UAAP men’s basketball Finals end today in a fitting climax.

For one last time, the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles and the University of the East Red Warriors meet at 3:30 p.m. today for all the marbles at the historic Araneta Coliseum .

The Eagles are looking to repeat as champions to become only the second Ateneo team in UAAP history to win back-to-back. The championship-starved Warriors, on the other hand, want to end a 24-year title drought.

“It’s a battle between Ateneo’s discipline and our team’s emotion,” declared UE coach Lawrence Chongson after dealing his counterpart Norman Black his worst loss in the UAAP.

The Warriors went berserk in Game Two and turned the tables on the hapless Eagles, who uncharacteristically broke down in the face of UE’s zone defense.

“Whatever they (Warriors) say, it’s the least of my concerns. What I’m thinking is my team. On Thursday (today), we’ll show up to win,” said Black moments after his team absorbed a 68-88 beating last Sunday.

Black wasn’t even aware that it was his worst loss in the league since a 60-78 beating at the hands of arch-rival De La Salle Green Archers in his debut in 2005.

“That's (20-point setback in Game 2) irrelevant,” said Black during the postgame interview. “In this championship series, we have to win two games. We now equally have a chance of winning the title,” Black said.

The American mentor, who won 10 championships as a coach in the pros, including a rare grandslam, is upbeat that his team will be able to bounce back.

“It’s much easier for us to bounce back at this point of the season. Everybody has to realize that we just need one game to win the championship,” Black added.

When they were embarrassed by the University of the Philippines back in the first round, the Eagles responded with a 12-game win streak including the 78-71 Game One win.

But the Warriors, who are all out in their attempt to win the championship since 1985, are hungrier than the Eagles. The momentum might have swung to their favor after dismantling the Eagles.

“Andami nilang sinasabi sa amin na wala kaming sistema, na ganito kami, ganyan kami. But I don’t care. Basta ang sabi ko sa kanila (my players), gawin natin ng mas mabuti kung anong ginagawa natin ngayon,” Chongson said.

“Hindi ko maipipilit na maging Ateneo kami, o maging La Salle kami o FEU. Kung run-and-gun kami, dapat pagbutihin pa namin ang pagiging run-and-gun namin.”

Numbers tell the story

“What went right is our defense. We baited them to take the outside shots, we clogged the middle. Ang Ateneo, papasa at papasa yan. ‘Di sila basta-basta titira ng titira,” revealed Chongson of his game plan last Sunday.

His ploy worked.

In Game One, Ateneo shot 8-of-19 from the three-point zone compared to UE’s 7-of-30. The Eagles continually dumped the ball at the post and Rabeh Al-Hussaini had a field day finishing with 28 points on 22 attempts.

In Game Two, the roles have been reversed thanks largely to the Warriors’ stifling zone defense.

The Eagles were an eye sore from the perimeter, making only seven of what Black described as “too many” 34 three-point attempts. As a result, Al-Hussaini had only 11 attempts inside the shaded area for 18 points.

In contrast, the Warriors made nine of 19 three-pointers, four coming from big man Elmer Espiritu. Even Pari Llagas constantly knocked down jumpers to draw Al-Hussaini and Nonoy Baclao away from the paint.

The two seniors know too well what’s at stake.

“This is our final year in the UAAP. Gusto naming umalis na panalo,” said Espiritu.

It’s something that coach Chongson has been using to motivate his team.

“What will separate you from the past UE greats in the past 24 years would be winning the championship,” Chongson always tell his players.

Meanwhile, defending champion Ateneo Blue Eaglets also seek their second straight championship in the juniors basketball.

They will play the top seed De La Salle Zobel Junior Archers in Game Three also of their own Finals series at 11 a.m. with a delayed telecast on Studio 23 at 1 p.m.