After a UAAP Board decision that upheld the UE Red Warriors' protest against the DLSU Green Archers, three teams ended tied for first after the elimination round. By virtue of having the superior point differential from games among the tied teams, the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles secured the #1 seed; the FEU Tamaraws defeated UE in the second-seed playoff in a virtual game one of a best-of-3 series. Ateneo needed their twice-to-beat advantage to outlast La Salle in a fight-marred series to advance to the Finals, while FEU needed one game to eliminate a stubborn UE team. In the Finals, FEU coach Koy Banal led the team to victory over a tired Ateneo team coached by his brother Joel to win FEU's first UAAP men's basketball championship since 1997.
UE's James Yap was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the season. Arwind Santos was named Finals MVP.
^La Salle originally won against UE in the second round, but the UAAP Board awarded UE the win after instant replay showed that the buzzer beater that gave De La Salle the victory was not yet in the air when time expired.
^This "final" team standings is overturned when La Salle forfeited their games after the Season 68 was over. See Suspension of De La Salle University for details.
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer Legend: Blue = left column team win; Red = top row team win. Matches with lighter background shading were decided after overtime. Notes:
^UE put the result of their 65–64 second round game loss against La Salle under protest as UE contended that Junjun Cabatu's last-second three-point buzzer beater for La Salle was made after the end-game buzzer sounded. After the UAAP Technical Committee, citing a review of the tapes that showed the ball was until in Cabatu's fingertips as time expired, concluded that indeed the ball was released after time expired, the UAAP Board upheld UE's protest and awarded UE the 64–62 victory. This earned them a playoff for the second seed against FEU as they ended up in a three-way tie for first place. Ateneo, with the superior point differential, won the #1 seed.[1]
Second seed playoff
Since Ateneo, FEU and UE finished the eliminations with identical 11-3 cards, the quotient system was used. Ateneo emerged with the best quotient among the three, so UE and FEU figured out for a playoff game for the second seed to determine which team will clinch the twice-to-beat advantage that goes along with it, leading to a de facto first game of a best-of-three series. The winner only has to win once in the series, while the loser have to win twice to qualify for the Finals.
UE fell behind by as much as 18 points in the fourth quarter, but caught up with FEU due to their trapping defense. Olan Omiping hit a shot to start a 21–4 UE run, that was ended by RJ Masbang when he scored on a three-point play to cut FEU's lead to one point. Denok Miranda and Mark Isip initiated a 5–0 FEU run when UE coach Boyzie Zamar benched Masbang for shooter Charles Tan, who turned the ball over and fouled Santos that caused a three-point play to put FEU up by eight points. Up by three points, Santos tipped-in a Miranda miss to seal the win for FEU and the #2 seed.[2]
With former Chicago Bulls player Scott Burrell at court side, Ateneo led for much of the game; La Salle top scorer Mark Cardona was injured. La Salle's Joseph Yeo led the Archers back into the game; Jerwin Gaco scored on a put-back after a La Salle miss to force overtime. With 1:31 left in the overtime period, a bench-clearing brawl erupted after Gaco bumped LA Tenorio after a loose-ball scramble. Slo-mo replays later showed Tenorio sneaked in a punch to Gaco's side. After commissioner Joe Lipa and Araneta Coliseum personnel restored order, referees thrown out Ateneo's Magnum Membrere and La Salle's Ryan Araña. Yeo, who scored 31 points, and JV Casio led La Salle at the end of overtime to extend the series.[3]
After the fracas at their first semifinals game, Tenorio was suspended. This gave Macky Escalona Tenorio's starting point-guard spot. Cardona, who was dressed to play, was not fielded in by La Salle coach Franz Pumaren. At the end of the first half, a commotion broke out between the two teams in the Araneta Coliseum tunnel as they went to their respective locker rooms. At the stands, there were at least three incidents of shoving, punching and debris-throwing involving officials and supporters. Lipa ordered a certain fan to be expelled after having a word war with the Ateneo supporters. Midway through the third quarter, Ateneo led 47–33 but La Salle crept up. At the fourth quarter, as Ateneo's shot clock was running out, center Paolo Bugia made an improbable three-pointer to pad their lead 63–59. Larry Fonacier scored six straight points in the final 61 seconds to put Ateneo up for good; after Joseph Yeo scored on a three-pointer to cut Ateneo's lead 71–68, Fonacier made two free-throws off Cabatu's unsportsmanlike foul to put them up by five points. A last-ditch foul from Casio on Macky Escalona settled the final score as Escalona split his free-throws.[4]
At the end of the game, another scuffle between the supporters broke out, and included former Ateneo players Enrico Villanueva, Rainier Sison and Andrew Cruz; both Sison and Cruz suffered bruises. Uniformed policemen, including the SWAT team, and Araneta Coliseum security guards restored order.[5]
FEU and UE were locked in a close game until the final minutes. Paul Artadi scored a three-pointer to put the Red Warriors up 61–60. RJ Rizada and Gerald Jones scored baskets late in the game to eliminate the Red Warriors anew.[3]
Finals
In the finals, defending champion Ateneo coach Joel Banal faced his brother, FEU coach Koy.
Ateneo threatened to blow the game wide open in the first quarter, but FEU responded with defense that gave Ateneo few easy points. The Tamaraws grabbed rebounds that led into easy fast break points to cruise to an easy win to lead the best-of-3 series 1–0.[6]
Finals Most Valuable Player: Arwind Santos(FEU Tamaraws)
FEU led for most of the game, with Cesar Catli, RJ Rizada and Rhagnee Singco scoring baskets to increase FEU's lead 39–26. Ateneo cut the lead 46–39 near the end of the third quarter thanks to Larry Fonacier's free-throws. However, Jeffrei Chan scored on a three-point shot to increase FEU's lead to ten to end the quarter. At the start of the fourth quarter, FEU led for good, 56–39, after a Gerald Jones shot. The Eagles threatened anew late in the fourth, but Dennis Miranda converted a three-point shot with 2:31 left to put the Eagles away, 63–50. FEU won their first UAAP men's basketball championship since 1997.[7]
