UPH Strengthens Final Four Tradition in ACSI Libamanas 2011/12

ACSI Libamanas 2011/12 became a stage where Universitas Pelita Harapan can finally be recognized as having one of Indonesia?s top collegiate sports program, particularly in basketball. The UPH Eagles basketball teams? performances in the ACSI Libamanas 2011/12 National Tournament confirmed this.

For the past few years, the UPH Eagles were recognized due to the results achieved by its men?s basketball team, who were the 2008 national runner-up and the 2010 national champions. This year, the men?s team advanced to the Final Four stage of ACSI Libamanas, which proves that this team still remains one of Indonesia?s top college basketball sides despite the fact that numerous important players from last year?s team have graduated.

Losing key players such as Anthony Ferry, Jonathan Saragih, Abrar Adrian, Dwiki Rowi and Marino Kawuwung, many would expect the Eagles men?s team to face difficulty this season. However, the Eagles still proved to be a strong side with a combination of seniors, such as Davin Setiawan and Radika Dwi Jaya, and freshmen such as Jonathan Hurst, Jemmy Sinatra and Edi Hidayat. UPH?s men?s basketball team finished top of the Jakarta-Banten Conference, defeating other championship contenders ABFII Perbanas and STIE Bhakti Pembangunan along the way.

In the new league system for men?s basketball, which consisted of 16 teams from different conferences, UPH managed to reach the Final Four phase. They managed to defeat Bandung?s Universitas Widyatama in the Sweet Sixteen phase and conference rivals Universitas Esa Unggul in the Elite Eight phase with winning scores of 77-59 and 71-59, respectively.

Nevertheless, UPH?s title defense was stopped in the penultimate hurdle. In the Final Four phase the Eagles were pitted against Universitas Surabaya (Ubaya), an opponent that has always proved to be a difficult rival to beat for UPH. Ubaya managed to stop the Eagles? interior offense and used their outside shooting to gain an advantage over UPH. In the end, Ubaya won the game 73-60.

However, there are several reasons why this can still be considered a successful basketball season. Firstly, for UPH to reach the Final Four with a lot of freshmen and sophomores indicate that the only thing the Eagles might lack is experience and they might do better naturally once these players play more games. Secondly, the Eagles? entrance to the Final Four is the sixth consecutive year the UPH men?s basketball team has entered the national collegiate basketball Final Four.

With young players driving the UPH men?s basketball team, there is cause for optimism that the Eagles will come back next year to go further than the Final Four; and maybe help them regain their 2010 college basketball National Championship title. (kt)