By the Numbers: Finals Game 3

By Paolo Mariano Posted Oct 15th 2013

It was only fitting that the truly memorable season ended with a finals series for the ages. Both De La Salle University and University of Santo Tomas (UST) laid everything on the floor in hopes of adding more hardware to their trophy cases. But in the end, it was the boys from Taft who showed enough resolve and composure in crunch time to hack out a cardiac Game 3 victory. The Green Archers also duplicated their 1999 feat as they also claimed the crown despite losing in Game 1.   

23,396

The number of people who watched Game 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena—reportedly the biggest attendance in a UAAP basketball game in history. The state-of-the-art venue was split evenly with La Salle and UST fans filling the seats. It also set the record for the biggest crowd at the said venue. Games 1 and 2 held at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum drew 20,525 and 23,037, respectively. Nothing like a do-or-die to draw the fans.

19

The age of Jeron Teng—the youngest UAAP Finals MVP in the new millennium. In just his second year, the explosive forward led La Salle to the crown after averaging 19.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 3.7 APG in a notable all-around performance. In Game 3, he scored 19 of his team-high 25 points in the second half and overtime to power the Green Archers to victory. Ryan Buenafe is the second youngest after winning it in 2010 at 20 years old.

4

The number of points scored by La Salle’s Almond Vosotros in overtime. The crafty guard once again proved that he is one of the best clutch players in the league as he scored four of the Green Archers’ six points in the extra period, including the game-winning jumper from the right baseline. Teng may get all the recognition and the attention, but La Salle wouldn't have its eighth title without Vostoros' laudable endgame heroics.

3.3

The average winning margin of the best-of-three finals. La Salle and UST treated fans to a nail-biting series with all of the games going down the wire. In Game 1, the Growling Tigers won by just a solitary point. Then the Green Archers claimed Game 2 by seven, 77-70 and Game 3, which went to OT, by two, 71-69. It is the closest margin since the 2.0 of the 2005 Finals between La Salle and eventual winner Far Eastern University.

4

The number of coaches in the Final Four era that led their team to the UAAP title in their first year. La Salle mentor Juno Sauler joined the almost exclusive list, which also includes his UST counterpart Pido Jarencio, former Ateneo de Manila University tactician Joel Banal and former DLSU mentor Franz Pumaren. Pumaren did it 1998 while the soft-spoken Banal first did it in 2002, snapping the five-peat hopes of archrival La Salle. Jarencio accomplished the feat in 2006 against Ateneo.