The Tigers defeated the Blue Eagles of the Ateneo de Manila University to win their nineteenth UAAP men's title, and their first since the 1996 season.
Duncil found a wide-open Ababou to cause the three-point play; the Tigers were ahead by 14 points but the Tamaraws fought back to tie at 87-all.
[5] With a strong second quarter, the Tigers pulled away from season host UE as they dumped the Warriors at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
NU's one-two punch of Jonathan Fernandez and previous season's Mythical 5 awardee Edwin Asoro finished with a combined 44 points.
All of the starters of Ateneo ended in double-figures, with Intal sharing game-high honors with Duncil, who was back from a one-game suspension, with 24 points.
[9] The Tigers started the second round tied for last place, along with the UP Fighting Maroons, NU Bulldogs and defending champions FEU Tamaraws.
[11] Now tied for fourth place, the Tigers are not out of the woods yet, especially at the logjam at the middle of table with Adamson, FEU and NU all having a chance of taking the last two semifinal berths – Ateneo and UE already clinched theirs.
Anthony Espiritu stepped up his game as he compensated to Duncil's and Cortez's absence due to injuries and ailments, chipping in a career-high and tournament-best 31 points to lead the Tigers into a season sweep of the defending champions.
[12] After winning the classification game against Adamson, UST clinched the third seed, and the right to face the twice-to-beat UE Red Warriors in the semifinals.
Cortez sank his bonus freethrow as the Red Warriors failed to erase a four-point lead, giving the Tigers the win, and another game at Season 69.
Prior to the game, the Red Warriors announced the suspension of star player Bonifacio "Bonbon" Custodio due to disciplinary measures.
On the inbound play after the Duncil freethrow, Warriors Team Captain Robert Labagala drove unmolested into the basket, cutting the lead into one point.
Devising one the plays he previously used the head coach of the professional team San Miguel Beermen, he instructed Chris Tiu to set a pick for Doug Kramer in order to free him from his defender right under the basket.
The Tigers regrouped, rallying to within three at 34–31, before Ken Barracoso hit a three with less than a minute to go in the half, giving Ateneo a 37–31 lead, which they maintained until halftime.
Dylan Ababou started the burst with a triple from the right wing, then after Clifford Arao turned the ball over in Ateneo's next possession, Jun Cortes found Jervy Cruz under the basket for a lay-up that cut ADMU's lead to one.
The Tigers continued to pour it on, scoring five more unanswered points to grab a 41–37 lead, before the Eagles stopped the bleeding with a lay-up by Escalona.
The Eagles ran off five straight points, and after the Tigers stopped the bleeding, Escalona fired a three-point shot with 1:13 remaining, then after UST came up empty again, drove into the lane from the left wing, converting a lay-up which pushed Ateneo to within 49–51.
Neither team could score in the first 3:35 of the quarter until Ababou hit an awkward shot that gave UST the first points of the fourth, as well as a three-point spread.
Ateno countered with its four points of its own, and Doug Kramer's basket with 4:46 left gave them back the lead for the first time since early in the third quarter.
JC Intal missed two free throws, and Allan Evangelista hit a jumper to swing the lead back to UST.
After both teams traded baskets, however, Evangelista fouled out on UST's next possession, and Intal hit a three-pointer, giving the Eagles a 59–57 lead, which Escalona stretched to four later on with a jumper.
Duncil then sank a jumper of his own off a crossover dribble to pull the Tigers within two, setting the stage for the crucial final minute and a half of regulation.
With less than a minute and a half left in the fourth quarter and his team leading by two, JC Intal drove past Dylan Ababou, drawing Jervy Cruz' fifth and last foul, converting the basket, and setting himself up for a three-point play.
After sending Cruz to the bench for good, Intal converted the free throw to give the Blue Eagles a five-point lead, 64–59 with about a minute remaining.
With a two of UST's main players out of the game and five-point lead with just over a minute to go in regulation, Ateneo looked poised to end the match.
On UST's next possession, Anthony Espiritu faked his defender into the air then drained a critical triple to draw the Tigers to within two, with just over a minute left in the fourth.
After Doug Kramer missed a shot on Ateneo's second possession, Japs Cuan brought the ball up and was fouled by Yuri Escueta.
Duncil answered right away with a jumper to tie the game again, then after Intal turned the ball over on Ateneo's next possession, Cuan was fouled anew, and once again split his free throws.
As the yellow side of the arena grew louder, Chris Tiu sank a three-pointer of his own off an assist pass from JC Intal to tie the game again at 72, forcing UST to call a timeout with 55 seconds left.
The winning team will reportedly head to the Great Wall of China as a reward for their championship, as promised by the acting rector[19] After the championship celebrations, PLDT, whose president is Manny Pangilinan, a known Ateneo supporter, released a radio advertisement, where the ad depicts a play-by-play basketball sequence, with the commentator outlining a UST three-point play, and at the climax, the commentator retorts, "Who cares?"