4 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010 INQUIRER SPORTS TELLING THE FILIPINO STORY TO THE WORLD

The Filipino’s time to shine

From page W3
sports association) with 12 gold medals, fol-
lowed by athletics and aquatics with nine
each, billiards and boxing with eight, tradi-
tional boat race and taekwondo with six, fenc-
ing with five and bowling with four.
Metro Manila served as the main hub of the
23rd edition of the Games. Other events were
held in Bacolod, Cebu, Los Baños and Can-
lubang in Laguna, Tagaytay, Angeles City in
Pampanga and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in
Zambales.
The Philippines previously hosted the 1981
Games where it placed third behind Indonesia
and Thailand and the 1991 edition, which the
Indonesians topped by a mere two gold
medals over the Filipinos.

Unbeaten romp sparks UST 4-peat

FOR FOUR straight years,
chants of “Viva Santo
Tomas” reverberated in the
UAAP community as the
OF Tigers dominated the bas-
THE ketball scene from 1993 to
BEST 1996, an unprecedented
feat at that time.
UST started the run by sweeping all 14
matches of the 1993 season, automatically
handing the Tigers the crown. The following
year, the Final Four format was started.
UST’s title-clinching win in 1993 was made
at the expense of Adamson before it frustrated
La Salle in the next three championship fights.
The 14-0 team, coached by Aric del Rosario,
starred Dennis Espino, Bethune “Siot” Tan-
quingcen, Rey Evangelista, Rudolph Belmonte
and Patrick Fran, with alternates Bal David
(point guard), Chris Cantonjos (center) and
Edmund Reyes (forward). THE PHILIPPINES’ FIRST Jennifer Rosales (left) and Dorothy Delasin celebrate winning the Women’s World Cup over powerhouse South Korea in South Africa. AFP
All eight Tigers climbed the pro ranks, with
Tanquingcen even becoming head coach of
Ginebra and San Miguel Beer. To date, only
Espino is still playing (with Powerade) while
Evangelista (B-Meg Derby Ace), Fran (Meral-
co), Tanquingcen (San Miguel) are assistant
coaches.
Prior to 1993, UST’s last solo title came in
the 1964-65 season while in 1967-68, it
shared the championship with University of
the East after both schools refused to field
their players in the second half of Game 3.
Overall, UST and UE have 18 men’s basket-
ball titles each, next only to Far Eastern Uni-
versity’s 19.

Green Archers nail own four-peat

A NEW coach heralded a
new era.
Years of heartaches came
to an end as coach Franz
ROMY HOMILLADA

OF Pumaren transformed the

THE La Salle Green Archers
BEST from perennial brides-
maids to fierce champions.
It seemed like beginner’s luck for then first-
time coach Pumaren, a recently retired profes- FILIPINO baseballers celebrate their victory in the 2005 SEA Games. AP RENREN Ritualo on cloud nine after the La Salle Green Archers completed their UAAP four-peat.
sional cager who took over as La Salle mentor
in 1998. The Warriors went into the title series look- The acid test came in the All-Filipino,
But boasting a solid program and a roster ing to nail a third straight championship, but against a Purefoods squad that would make
stocked with talent, the Archers ruled the they were clearly not the team they were in winning the league’s most prestigious trophy a
UAAP men’s basketball tournament from the two previous seasons, losing chief gunner part of its tradition. Still, the Beermen defeat-
1998 to 2001 to slay the ghosts of their forget- Allan Caidic to graduation. ed the Alvin Patrimonio-led Hotdogs in six
table runner-up finishes. Still, Codiñera, who split time with UE and games.
La Salle won back-to-back titles in 1991 and the national team, had ample support in the The Beermen got off to a poor start in the
1992, but soon became the league’s heart- likes of collegiate standouts Boysie Zamar, Reinforced Conference, losing its first two
break kids after finishing as runners-up six Vernie Villarias and Ting Hojilla. games with import Keith Smart in tow. But the
times in seven years, three of which came dur- But with Altamirano leading UP’s scoring Beermen brought in Ennis Whatley as replace-
ing University of Santo Tomas’ own four-peat charge—he finished with 26 points in the final ment and went on to defeat Añejo Rhum in
from 1993 to 1996. game of the season where he won MVP hon- the finals to seal one of the greatest seasons in
But the players eventually basked in glory, ors—the Maroons simply outclassed the War- PBA history.
and impressively, three La Salle stand- riors, 98-89. Paras, Magsanoc, Joey Mendoza
outs—Most Valuable Player Don Allado, point and Joey Guanio helped keep the UP machine Aces record fourth PBA grand slam
guard Dino Aldeguer and triggerman Renren humming at the Ultra (now the PhilSports ALASKA COACH Tim Cone
Ritualo—made it to the 1998 Mythical Five. Arena) to lead State U to the crown. summed up his team’s
La Salle capped its record championship Back then, it was a huge story—it made the 1996 virtuoso act in five
run with no less than a 2001 finals victory over INQUIRER’S front page and merited an editorial words: “Special people
fierce rival Ateneo, where Ritualo again shone to boot—because of the length of time it took OF achieve special things.”
along with prized guard Mike Cortez, Carlo before the Maroons clinched the premier bas- THE Johnny Abarrientos, Jo-
Sharma and Willy Wilson. ketball varsity crown in the country. BEST jo Lastimosa, Bong
A final feat that, unquestionably, sweetened Today, with UP still unable to duplicate the Hawkins, Jeffrey Cariaso
La Salle’s phenomenal run. feat, that victory remains etched in hoop histo- and Poch Juinio certainly proved in one sea-
ry as the day the Fighting Maroons were son just how special they were, leading an
Stags’ NCAA five-peat No. 1. Alaska charge that saw the team win the PBA’s
HALF a decade of domi- last Grand Slam thus far.
nance. Grand-slam Beermen roll out barrel Alaska opened up its triple crown by defeat-
San Sebastian practically VERY FEW people may ing Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codiñera and the
owned the ’90s as the have noticed it, but San Purefoods Hotdogs in the All-Filipino.
OF Stags, boasting a nucleus of Miguel Beer’s Grand Slam Its toughest challenge, though, came in the
THE the country’s top amateur in 1989 was actually set in Commissioner’s Cup finals against a veteran
BEST standouts, strung up an un- OF motion in the previous Shell squad coached by Perry Ronquillo, who
precedented five consecu- THE year. matched wits with Cone in a seven-game se-
tive NCAA championship crowns. BEST The Beermen ruled the ries that went the distance and featured verbal
The Stags steamrolled their way to the Open Conference but failed jousts between both camps. In the end, Cone,
men’s basketball pinnacle from 1993 to 1997 MIKEE Cojuangco- Tanigue, barely 5-foot-8, struck from the out- to prove it could win without an import, as its who likened Alaska to “sharks,” defeated Ron-
with Romel Adducul, the 6-foot-6 center as Jaworski carries the side to trigger a 13-point avalanche that glut of talented young stars needed a different quillo’s “dolphins” for the title.
cornerstone of a powerful lineup who went on Philippine flag buried the stunned Lions, 62-48, for good. type of veteran leadership than the one Abet Shell, whose import Kenny Redfield gua-
to bag the Most Valuable Player plum thrice. shortly after clearing Guidaben provided. ranteed a victory, was led by Benjie Paras and
San Sebastian, indeed, made the rest of the the final barrier and Victorious Maroons paint the town red After finishing fourth in the All-Filipino in Vic Pablo.
field seem like minnows with a roster that also completing a perfect BENJIE PARAS, Ronnie 1988, the Beermen made their move, trading Alaska, meanwhile, was led by Sean Cham-
featured 6-foot-5 Aramis Calpito and 6-4 Brix- ride that clinched for Magsanoc and Eric Altami- Guidaben for controversial but all-around big bers, who played in the Commissioner’s Cup
ter Encarnacion patrolling the shaded lane her the gold medal in rano couldn’t have grasped man Mon Fernandez. And the 6-foot-4 bean- despite the height handicap after Derek
and wily guards Ulysses Tanigue and Jasper equestrian’s jumping the kind of history they pole proved his worth immediately by helping Hamilton was tested positive for drugs.
Ocampo manning the backcourt. competition at the OF were forging one October the San Miguel win the 1988 Reinforced Con- When the Governors Cup rolled around,
And like a sweet championship fairytale, Busan Asian Games THE afternoon in 1986. ference. Alaska could virtually smell the Grand Slam,
the Stags even marked their historic fifth title in South Korea. The BEST University of the Philip- When the curtains were lifted off the 1989 with Chambers returning for a tour of duty.
with a perfect season. gold she snatched on pines, the country’s premier season, the Beermen looked sharp, deep and Alaska simply continued its winning ways as
With still 11 holdovers in the fold, the Stags the final day of the academic institution whose foray into college poised to dominate. other squads needed a couple of games to jell
streaked to 13 straight victories to complete Games sent the basketball had been filled with heartache, was With Fernandez were the likes of Samboy with their imports.
an unbeaten season and record the first five- national delegation suddenly stood at the cusp of hoop glory. Lim, Hector Calma, Elmer Reyes, Yves Dig- The Milkmen’s final hurdle was Gordon’s
peat in the country’s oldest collegiate league. home on the wings of Against the University of the East’s vaunted nadice, Alvin Teng and Franz Pumaren. Coach Gin, but the Boars did not offer much of a
The Stags cruised past the San Beda Red victory. machine, led by King Warrior Jerry Codiñera, Norman Black had in his disposal a collection fight. Alaska won the first three games before
Lions, 84-72, in the 1997 Finals. the Fighting Maroons had removed one hur- of talent very few teams could match. easing on the gas pedal the next two.
Adducul, unstoppable underneath, defied dle to the championship. UP won the first The Beermen defeated Shell in the Open In Game Six, though, it was all over as the
the help-defense thrown against him and game of the series and moved to within a vic- Conference, silencing the tandem of Benjie amazing Alaska Aces finally sealed their own
tory of its first UAAP crown in 46 years. Paras and Ronnie Magsanoc in a 4-1 trashing. special season.