Doubts to destiny: La Salle trumps rival UP, rises from 4th seed for UAAP title

MANILA, Philippines – For the second time in the last three UAAP seasons, the La Salle Green Archers are men’s basketball champions after again trouncing rival UP in a cardiac 80-72 Season 88 finals Game 3 win at the standing-room-only, 24,000-strong Araneta Coliseum crowd on Wednesday, December 17.

The youngest UAAP school by membership, La Salle now has 11 men’s basketball titles since its first in 1989, and now has three in the last eight years.

Most importantly, the Green Archers showed unparalleled resilience after bucking multiple key injuries and rose as the first fourth-seeded team to win the UAAP men’s basketball championship in 11 years, not since the NU Bulldogs won it all in Season 77 in 2014.

Poetically, those core cogs — Mason Amos and Kean Baclaan — iced the game at the free-throw line late in the fourth quarter to remove all doubt in the game’s frantic final minute after once being declared out for the season due to identical right MCL tears.

‘Hardest championship’

“It’s the hardest [championship] to win. I think one of the big keys for this win is these guys really helped me out a lot. Yes, I might be the head coach, but I’m so fortunate to have all those [other] coaches. Having those guys around really is a blessing to me,” a joyful Topex Robinson said after the game.

“There are times I could be vulnerable to these guys and tell them that I’m tired, I’m scared, I’m worried, I have so much anxiety. They always carried for me. It’s always nice to have an environment that you could be yourself. I was telling them earlier, this has been the most nervous I was in my life.”

Sure enough, the vulnerability was there for Robinson, who had experienced big setbacks across all leagues, whether the PBA with the Phoenix Fuel Masters, the NCAA with the Lyceum Pirates, and the UAAP with La Salle.

Mere minutes after the final buzzer, the amiable mentor made a beeline for the Big Dome backstage, ignoring all the on-court celebrations, and collapsed crying outside the La Salle locker room.

Entering the final week of the elimination round, La Salle was still in real danger of missing the Final Four completely, with the likes of Adamson, FEU, and rival Ateneo all nipping at the Archers’ heels for a shot at the fourth seed.

But thanks to the likes of eventual Finals MVP Mike Phillips and ever-clutch Jacob Cortez, the Archers did just enough to give themselves a chance, however tiny at first.

“I couldn’t cling on to anything anymore, but I was just so thankful again and was praying my heart out,” said Robinson when asked about his thought process during his emotional time alone outside the locker room.

“I know I don’t deserve this, I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, but I’m just so fortunate and blessed. So fortunate. Thank you.”

Entering Season 88, La Salle no longer had two-time MVP Kevin Quiambao. Midway through its campaign, it looked like it lost Baclaan and Amos for good.

But from top to bottom, the Green Archers held on to their faith — unbreakable, unshakeable, and after the last buzzer, finally undeniable. – Rappler.com