Ateneo Blue Eagles team captain Chris Tiu is overjoyed as his team captured the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) – Season 71 men’s basketball crown when it defeated the defending champions La Salle Green Archers by winning the first two of the supposedly three final match-ups. Despite being busy with two shows over at GMA7 (Pinoy Records and Ripley’s Believe It or Not), Chris was still able to lead his team to victory. In an interview, Chris exclaimed that their win over the formidable Green Archers is “unbelievable”. The Blue Eagles squad ended the season with 15 wins and 1 loss.

Chris relates that the team attributes its victory to their coach Norman Black, whom he describes as a “great coach”. The very systematic Norman Black trained his team to focus on one goal and to achieve it. It also helped that his team was comprised of very disciplined and hardworking players.

Chris has been playing in the league for the past six years. The rules prohibit any cager to go beyond the five-year limit of playing with the UAAP. He was adjudged as eligible to play this season when he decided to skip last year’s games to go to France as an exchange student, thus making season 71 as Chris’ final season with the league. Talk about a great way to end a career in collegiate basketball.

Photo credit: Hanford Ice