ATENEO lauded La Salle’s acts of sportsmanship following a tense best-of-three series in the UAAP Season 80 finals won by the Blue Eagles.
Moments after Ateneo clinched the title in a hard-earned Game Three win last December 3, La Salle lit up its façade with the color blue in honor of the newly crowned champions. The next evening, the Green Archers continued to pay tribute by lighting the St. La Salle Hall blue on one side and green on the other as a symbol of solidarity.
During the bonfire celebration on Saturday night, Ateneo president Fr. Jett Villarin made mention of La Salle’s acts, thanking the school for the gesture of sportsmanship.
“Animo La Salle,” Villarin said during the celebration.
Even the Ateneo players were in awe of the tributes from La Salle.
“It was a real class act for La Salle,” said Ateneo veteran Thirdy Ravena. “It was really a great gesture of sportsmanship.”
“We appreciate it because the finals series, it could go either way. The whole series was a dogfight even in the fourth quarter. It was a great way of saying that it was a good game, and it was a good series. We appreciate the gesture of La Salle,” he added.
The Season 80 Finals MVP acknowledged that the rivalry between Ateneo and La Salle will always be present on the court, but the Green Archers showed that all that animosity ends as the buzzer sounds.
“Obviously, it’s always going to be there inside the court. But off the court, when everything is done, it’s all about being a class act,” said Ravena.
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