Ateneo coach Norman Black believes experience is the best teacher. That’s why he used the Blue Eagles’ 2006 title defeat to the University of Santo Tomas Tigers to motivate his players in completing their mission this season. Back in 2006, the Tigers under rookie coach Pido Jarencio stole the thunder from the No. 1 ranked Blue Eagles, winning the last two games of the best-of-three title series to snatch the title.
Coach Lawrence did a good job. Nobody expected much from him this year. A lot of people have comments about his style but being a coach does not mean you have to have a particular style. It’s about the team following you, who motivates the team. 
– Norman Black, Ateneo coach
“Experience is the best teacher. Some of the players in the 2006 team are still here and they handled adversity well," said Black after Ateneo’s 71-58 Game 3 win Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum that completed the Blue Eagles’ back-to-back title victory. “The entire focus is to dedicate the championship to (the graduating players) to finish their college careers happy. They experienced it in 2006 and we explained it to the other players not to throw away the season. And we didn’t want the younger players to go through what we experienced in 2006," added Black. Black said Ateneo’s 88-68 Game 2 loss to UE forced them to keep their composure. “It’s just a matter of staying focused which is not that easy. I just told them to have more energy and to stay focused." Black also lauded UE for giving them a tough series, especially coach Lawrence Chongson, who guided the Recto-based dribblers to the finals in his first year on the Warriors’ bench. “Coach Lawrence did a good job. Nobody expected much from him this year. A lot of people have comments about his style but being a coach does not mean you have to have a particular style. It’s about the team following you, who motivates the team," said Black.
Ateneo coach Norman Black gets the traditional victory ride after steering the Blue Eagles to their second straight UAAP men’s crown Thursday at the Big Dome. Mike Taboy
Ateneo, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, partied big time after its junior team also scored a scintillating 61-51 Game 3 win over the No. 1 seeded La Salle-Zobel Junior Archers earlier in the day. It was Ateneo’s second straight UAAP seniors crown and the second time that it won two consecutive titles. Black’s 2008 Ateneo crew duplicated the feat made by the Danny Francisco-led Blue Eagles of winning back-to-back crowns in 1987 and 1988. Ateneo’s back-to-back title win was also the first time in the league since FEU won in 2004 and 2005.
– GMANews.TV 
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