With all the social distancing restrictions, it was pretty much a no-brainer that sporting events had to be canceled. While the NBA and PBA eventually found ways to continue their season, local collegiate basketball was not as lucky. UAAP, for example, opted to cancel Season 82 and eventually scrapped Season 83 altogether.
While it’s completely understandable, we can’t help but miss the thrill, joy, and excitement of college basketball.
While we wait for the day our athletes return to the court, let’s look back at some memorable UAAP games to help quench our thirst for basketball!
Atin ‘To! (UST vs. UP)
“Atin ‘to. Papasok ‘to.”
Probably the most iconic moment of Season 80, UP’s Paul Desiderio made the promise as he and his team faced the two-point advantage UST had with merely five seconds left in the game. Desiderio hit the three and the rest, as they say, is history.
The Ryan Buenafe Three (Ateneo vs. FEU)
We’ll need to walk further down memory lane for this but it’s just too good not to mention. The year is 2010. Ateneo was against FEU in game two of the finals with Ateneo up by one game. With 31 seconds left in the finals, Ateneo was up by two and FEU had ample time to tie the game. Ryan Buenafe was standing at the three-point line, ball in hand, trying to call a play. At the 24th second, out of nowhere, he pulled up, drained the dagger three-point shot to win the trophy.
Mac Belo’s 0.6-Second Game Winner (FEU vs. ADMU )
Years later, it seemed like vengeance thy name was FEU. On November 21, 2015, FEU and Ateneo were tied at 74 with less than ten seconds left. FEU’S Mike Tolomia drove to the basket but missed his favored scoop shot. In came Mac Belo on the offensive rebound and, with 0.6 of a second to spare, but the ball right in.
Alvin Pasaol’s 49 Points (UE vs. DLSU)
In 2017, the winless UE Red Warriors were up against the defending champions, De La Salle Green Archers. This was meant to be an easy win for the champions and no one noticed that UE’s Alvin Pasaol bagged 24 points in the first half, carrying his team to catch up to La Salle. It wasn’t enough to get their win against the champions, but Alvin Pasaol? He scored a whopping 49 points.
━━ Written By Roby Liamzon
