October 12, 2013. MANILA, Philippines — De La Salle University (DLSU) battled from 15 points down to carve out a thrilling 71-69 overtime victory against University of Sto. Tomas (UST) and clinch its first UAAP crown since 2007.
Jeron Teng, who foiled his brother Jeric’s title hopes, paved the way for the Archers, who trailed the Tigers after the first two quarters, 24-32.
La Salle fought for every ball possession in the second half and forced overtime with the scores tied at 65. The Archers took over during the extension and eventually dealt UST a heart-breaking defeat.
Jeron, who finished with 25 points and 8 rebounds, admitted having mixed feelings despite winning the crown for La Salle.
“When the buzzer sounded, I really didn’t know what to feel because on one side I’m happy because we’re champions but on the other side, my brother, I feel his loss,” said Jeron, who was chosen as the Finals MVP.
“S’yempre mahirap kasi my brother gave his all, played his heart out. For me, he’s the deserving MVP for this series.”
UST temporarily gained the upper hand in overtime when Jeric pushed the Tigers ahead, 69-67, on a turnaround shot.
After Jeron split his free throws, Aljon Mariano committed a costly turnover with 26.7 seconds remaining. (ABS-CBNnews.com)