Repeat or Revenge?

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It's Ateneo vs. UST once again in the UAAP Finals! The Blue Eagles and the Growling Tigers collide again in one of the biggest stages in college basketball. In the battle between a dominating force and the comeback kings, both the two squads prove their might in the UAAP.

History: This is their first meeting in the UAAP Finals since the dramatic 2006 Finals that saw one of the biggest upsets in UAAP Finals history as the unheralded Tigers featuring a rookie coach named Pido Jarencio and a bunch of nobodies stunned the heavily favored Eagles squad of Norman Black, JC Intal, and Doug Kramer.

What Now: Ateneo finished their elimination round campaign with a 12-2 card, but one of the two losses came against UST in the first round. UST, on the other hand, was the team of fight backs during the season, scoring come-from-behind victories almost all-season long. Both the Eagles and the Tigers wasted no time in setting up their Finals showdown by beating La Salle and NU respectively in the Final 4 right in Game 1.

Key Match-Up: Kiefer Ravena vs. Aljon Mariano-Both Ravena and Mariano have taken the role of go-to guys for the year. Ravena, despite slightly dipped numbers from last year, never failed to contribute for Ateneo, while Aljon Mariano, a cinch for the Most Improved Player Award, is UST's endgame warrior with his brilliant performance at the clutch.

Fearless Forecast: I think I made a mistake in saying that if there's one team that can beat Ateneo, that's La Salle. I almost forgot UST there. If UST continues to show brilliance on the court, they can spoil Norman Black's farewell. It could go a Game 3, depending on which Ateneo will show up on Saturday. Which team you got?