A tale of two NCAA teams, with reflections from the one who wrote this entry

I was born at the Perpetual Help Hospital in Las Pinas 24 years ago. Back then it's exterior was like any typical hospital built during the 70's and 80's. Now it looks like a cavernous place that would make Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis remind of the Oakland Coliseum.

Near that hospital is the school itself, then known as Perpetual Help College of Rizal. It would later became University of Perpetual Help Rizal, then University of Perpetual Help Dalta System and now University of Perpetual Help System Dalta. Still, its cheering squad would chant U-P-H-R! regardless of the recent name changes.

I have many memories about that school. I didn't study there but I remember the 1995 BF Resort interbarangay finals was held at their gym (It was played there for fear that a team would sabotage the tournament) with my brother's team - The Trojans - winning the title.

Our team, Bloomfield Academy played there in 2002 (I was in fourth year high school back then). We played Bernardo College in the annual Las Pinas Private Schools Association (LAPPRISA) and fell by 17 points in the first half. I was in early foul trouble but we managed to make a huge comeback cutting it to four only to falter down the stretch. Perhaps one of those memorable losses I always remember.

As far as Perpetual's NCAA team is concerned. The Altas aren't the toast of the league. It rarely made the Final Four even with the likes of Chester Tolomia, Gilbert Malabanan and Jojo Manalo on the squad. (The three would be part of the Welcoat-Shark rivalry in the PBL). So I was glad that the team made it in 2004 finals (after a heartstopping Final Four thriller against San Beda) led by that deadly scorer in Noy Javier and point guard Khiel Misa. Unfortunately, they ran into the PCU Dolphins of Gabby Espinas, Rob Sanz and Jason Castro (the hero of Game 1) and got swept in that series.

Since then, things haven't been doing well for Perpetual basketball, enduring several losing seasons. But the arrival of coach Boris Aldeguer and a number of recruits, ironically from PCU, has rejuvenated the squad.

Aldeguer, who perhaps travels about 30 minutes to an hour from his Alabang home to campus, is looking to transform this team into a contender much like what he did with La Salle Zobel in the UAAP juniors division. He hopes to make this squad competitive in three to four years time.

Jump shift to Emilio Aguinaldo College. We'll all I can say is, I used to hate the Generals big time!

As a college student at De La Salle University-Dasmarinas, I've seen a lot of great DLSU-D-EAC games in the UCAA and NCRAA. But for the most part, the Generals mostly went home with the W.

EAC achieved a three-peat in the UCAA from 2004-2006 and won one NCRAA cage crown in 2005 led by the likes of forward Nino Songco, lefty shooter Bong Melocoton and perhaps the greatest player in school history - Ronjay Buenafe.

Some of my memorable matches were the opening of the 2004 UCAA season at the Rizal Coliseum where the Generals spanked the Patriots behind Songco's inside game. Another came in 2007 UCAA tournament when both teams figured in a bench-clearing skirmish at a super empty Arena in San Juan that began with DLSU-D's Leo Pelayo (a former classmate in a Religious Education subject) and EAC's Gino Lapuz. The incident saw the ejection of a total of 14 players from both sides.

The best clash of these two schools came in the 2005 UCAA finals. DLSU-D won Game 1 at home to move one step closer to the school's first-ever championship but EAC answered with a Game 2 win in front of its home floor in Ermita, setting up a third game at the San Andres Sports Complex.

And in Game 3, the Patriots were on the verge of winning the big one (although not as big as the UAAP or the NCAA) leading by 13 points in the fourth quarter until Ebuen made it a one man show and eventually tied it at 70-all with under a minute left.

DLSU-D tried to regain the lead but missed a shot opportunity and a seldom-used player (I forgot his name) was fouled with no time left. He muffed the first try to the delight of a few Lasallians in attendance who wished for the contest to play five extra minutes. But to their disappointment, he calmly sank the second freethrow and the Generals won their second straight UCAA title. They completed the "Grandslam" the next year beating St Francis but would not have been a reality had the Patriots avoided their customary act of wasting leads and for the Generals to complete their customary comeback.

Anyway, when this team got the nod as one of the teams that entered the NCAA last year, I was happy. A part of me said that it's a chance for DLSU-D to compete for the crown but other than that it's about this successful college team maturing. They placed eighth last season and the Generals will have to deal with the agony of losing for the next few years.

There are no more Buenafes or Ebuens leading the team. It's now Argel Mendoza as their top player along with Yaya brothers - a bulky Lowell and a medium-built Russell - and also former UST Tiger Emilio "Milan" Vargas (who was mistakenly called by a Champions League barker as Emilio Garcia when he played for the Tigers).

So maybe you're wondering what is this all stories about? We'll I just relate it to the game they played in the Filoil Flying V Invitational at The Arena in San Juan. It's a bit of a meaningless game as two teams are a bit down in the standings although Perpetual sports a 2-3 record while the Generals tote a dismal 0-6 card.

I decided to watch the game until about three minutes in the fourth quarter while dealing with some articles that I have to finish. The scoreboard said Perpetual up 61-55 with about three minutes to go. I just learned that the Altas erased a 15-point deficit to take the lead.

However, EAC, determined to get its first win, rallied in the homestretch and a hook shot by Vargas tied the game at 72-all with 54 seconds left.

Perpetual's Arnold Danganan, a talented lefty guard formerly from the NAASCU's STI Olympian, scored two of his amazing 20 fourth quarter points (he finished with 29) to regain the lead only for the Generals' Jay Santos to bury a three from the right corner for a 75-74 lead with six ticks left.

But one clutch shot deserves another (changed the word from one lucky shot deserves another. Isn't that right Jason Richardson and Ron Artest?). Danganan was the inbounder for the Altas a threw a lob pass into the deep baseline and Marlon Gomez caught the ball.

Guarded by an EAC defender tightly, Gomez was still able to make a small spin and then stretched his arm for a high percentage shot the ball and luckily rolled into the rim and Perpetual went up 76-75 with three seconds left. The Generals had no time outs left and tried to go for one last shot but ran out of time. Perpetual wins!

With that, the Altas won their third straight and is now 3-3 to keep their quarterfinals bid alive. EAC finished its initial stint in this preseason tournament losing all of its seven games to the dismay of the coach Nomar Isla and his wards. It can only end its stint by doing its unique salute while singing the school hymn and move on to prepare for the NCAA season.

"I really expected this to be a close game knowing the fact that EAC hasn't won a game," Aldeguer said during the postgame interview.

Earlier, he praised Danganan's big performance and was surprised to know he scored 20 points in the fourth saying, "He was really feeling it." and described the play for Gomez's basket mentioning that there was somehow a slight miscommunication (citing a screen for Jet Vidal that wasn't executed) that luckily went in their way.

At the end of this rainy day, one team moves on with a chance to reach the next round while another bidding goodbye without a win yet hoping it won't be the measuring stick of how they would fare come the NCAA season.