De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde head coach Charles Tiu is hoping that the Blazers can take a page from De La Salle University's playbook when the latter upset Tiu's brother Chris and his Ateneo de Manila University team back in 2007.
Back in UAAP Season 70, the Green Archers fell to the Blue Eagles three times in their five meetings that season, but won the two most important games en route to the title.
Ateneo defeated La Salle in their elimination round clashes but La Salle retaliated with a 70-69 win in their battle for the second seed. Ateneo then went on to win Game 1 of their semifinals meeting, where La Salle was holding a twice-to-beat advantage.
La Salle, though, won the last game to set up a finals meeting with top seed University of the East, which they defeated in two games to take the crown.
And Tiu hopes the same feat can inspire Benilde as they try to dethrone the powerhouse team that is Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the NCAA Season 98.
"I even told them that I remember one year, 2007, Ateneo versus La Salle and syempre Ateneo ako no'n cheering for my brother. La Salle fans were always saying that two is better than three. La Salle beat Ateneo twice only but they won the championship that year," Tiu recalled as Benilde equalized the series against the Knights on Sunday.
"So that's my mantra for this team, they can beat us three times but it's these last two games that matter."
Benilde was 0-3 against Letran prior to this game.
The Knights first eked out an 81-75 win over Benilde in the first round before a 74-66 victory in the second round saw Letran grab the top spot momentarily. Letran then took a 1-0 finals series advantage when the Knights drew an 81-75 in Game 1.
But the Blazers said 'not today' in Game 2, carving out a 76-71 triumph to level the series and drag the defending champions to a do-or-die Game Three next Sunday.
And all the Blazers can do now is to believe that they can repeat the feat La Salle did 15 years ago.
"We just try to believe, really, that we can compete with this team. We talked about having to match their physicality, that we can't let them bully us there. And I'm happy with the way they responded for most of this game," Tiu said.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News
