BELIEVE it or not, La Salle has not won back-to-back crowns since Franz Pumaren was still calling the shots back in the early 2000s.
There have been four instances where the Green Archers had that chance, yet ultimately failed to repeat.
The first was in 2005 when the team, behind Joseph Yeo, Ryan Arana, and TY Tang, lost to Arwind Santos-led Far Eastern University in three games in the finals.
Of course, that season was overturned after La Salle was suspended for fielding ineligible players Mark Benitez and Tim Gatchalian, forcing the Taft side to give up the UAAP Season 67 championship trophy the season prior, as well as the Season 68 runner-up trophy it got.
Afterwards, they also had to serve a season-long ban.
The Green Archers did come back with a vengeance upon their reinstatement, winning the Season 70 crown in 2007 after spoiling the perfect 14-0 eliminations run of University of the East.
However, the green-and-white, led by JVee Casio and Rico Maierhofer, bowed once again in the Season 71 championship the following season, losing to Ateneo bannered by Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao, and Ryan Buenafe in what would be the start of the Blue Eagles’ dynasty.
La Salle's same story in the 2010s
With Juno Sauler calling the shots in 2013, La Salle claimed the Season 76 crown behind Jeron Teng, Arnold Van Opstal, Jason Perkins, and Norbert Torres over University of Santo Tomas.
But even with that stacked lineup, the defending champions could only snare the No. 3 seed with their 10-4 card in the eliminations and faced a twice-to-win disadvantage.
They were eventually shown the door by Mac Belo, Mike Tolomia, and the Tamaraws in the semifinals in Season 77, ending another bid for a repeat.
Teng and Perkins would join forces with Ben Mbala in 2016, as Aldin Ayo guided the Green Archers to the Season 79 crown over archrival Ateneo.
Unfortunately, Tab Baldwin and the blue-and-white avenged their defeat the following year, getting back at the Green Archers to win the Season 80 throne and deny the Lasallians the back-to-back anew.
READ: Kevin Quiambao set to fly out to Korea immediately after UAAP Finals
Seven years later, it’s almost the same, exact story with La Salle once again buoyed by a bonafide MVP in Kevin Quiambao and bracing for a rematch against a familiar foe – this time, the University of the Philippines.
Can Topex Robinson and his Green Archers finally get it done and secure the long awaited repeat in Taft?
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