MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – Just like what everybody expected, defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles and arch rival De La Salle Green Archers added another epic chapter to their fabled rivalry.

What they did not expect, however, was the shocking reversal when the young and gritty Archers survived the grind and squeezed out a riveting 66-63 victory before a big Saturday crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.

In front of more than 16,000 people that witnessed their first meeting this season, gutsy sophomore Samuel Joseph Marata played the best game of his young career, banging in back-to-back 3-pointers late in the game to erase a 9-point Ateneo lead.

Almost given up for dead after Kirk Long and Eric Salamat’s consecutive fastbreak lay-ups gave the Blue Eagles a 60-51 spread, the largest in the game, the Green Archers summoned whatever was left in their tanks for the 15-3 wind-up.

Nico Salva clustered 3 points to answer a 6-point spurt by the Archers to give Ateneo a 63-59 buffer with 2:04 left in the game.

It was at this juncture when Marata picked up the moment to play the hero’s role to the hilt for the Archers.

Marata, a nephew of deceased ex-PBA player Ric-Ric Marata, was left wide open at the top of the key and buried his 3rd triple of the game going into the final 2 minutes to make it a 1-point game, 62-63.

The Eagles lost the ball in the ensuing play and Marata again fired another trey as the Archers grabbed the lead, 65-63, with time down to 1:26.

Bacon Austria muffed two drives to the basket, but Simon Atkins split his charities at the other end in the last 17.6 seconds, opening the door for an Ateneo comeback.

But Justin Chua, the hero in Ateneo’s win over UST, missed two 3-point attempts in the end game.

“I dedicate this victory to him (Ric-Ric). He’s a big factor to me and my career,” said the young Marata, who finished with 12 points going perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the arc.

With the win, the Archers snapped a 6-game losing streak to the Eagles dating back to 2007 when La Salle won, 64-59, in the stepladder semifinals en route to winning their last championship.

“I’m very happy and so proud of my players. La Salle hasn’t won in a while so it’s about time,” DLSU coach Dindo Pumaren said.

The Archers played good defense limiting Ateneo’s gunners Eric Salamat, Ryan Buenafe and Nico Salva to a combined 18 points on a woeful 6-of-19 shooting.

“We played good defense. It’s all about the attitude. I saw the game-face that I was looking for from my players,” Pumaren added.

Joshua Webb also came up big for the Archers as he wound up with 12 points after averaging just 5.3 points per game in their first 3 games.

Chua made 16 points and hauled down 8 rebounds to pace the Eagles while Emman Monfort tallied 11 points before going out late in the game with an injury sustained from a collision.

The Scores:

DLSU 66 - Webb 12, Marata 12, Atkins 9, Tampus 6, Andrada 6, Dela Paz 5, Tolentino 5, Mendoza 5, Vosotros 3, Villanueva 2, Ferdinand 1, Paredes 0.

ADMU 63 --- Chua 16, Monfort 11, Long 9, Buenafe 7, Salamat 6, Salva 5, Golla 3, Escueta 2, Dela Cruz 2, Austria 2, Tiongson 0, Gonzaga 0.

Quarterscores: 14-15; 26-30; 46-42; 66-63.

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