BY achieving a  rare ‘four-peat’, Ateneo de Manila  completed its  date with greatness.

The Blue Eagles unleashed another big third quarter run to rout Far Eastern University, 82-69,  and  sweep  the finals series  in the UAAP seniors basketball tournament at the  Araneta Coliseum.

By  winning its  fourth consecutive crown,  Ateneo  duplicated the feat by  University of the East, University of Santo Tomas and La Salle.

Ateneo   coach  Norman Black, also joins the legendary Baby Dalupan, Aric del Rosario and Franz  Pumaren in  the  elite  list of bench tacticians  who completed  the ‘four-peat’.

“It’s a  good  feeling to be part of these guys to put a string of championships.  I’m  very humbled,” said Black, who  steered Ateneo to a  seventh UAAP crown.

The Blue Eagles   also  tied archrival Green Archers as the league’s fourth winningest  squad behind  the  Growling Tigers (19), the  Tamaraws (19) and the Red Warriors (18).

The victory by Ateneo also  gave graduating players Kirk Long, Eman  Monfort and  Bacon Austria a  fitting  sendoff.

Kiefer Ravena  finished with 18 points, six rebounds and two assists, Nico  Salva added  15 points and  6-foot-11 slotman Greg Slaughter  contributed 11 points, six  boards and two  assists for the  Blue  Eagles.

Salva, who averaged 19.5 points in the series  highlighted by his ‘perfect game’ of   24 points in Game 1, was  named  the Finals MVP.

FEU was simply helpless in stopping  Slaughter, who placed second to National University swingman Bobby Ray Parks in the Most Valuable Player  (MVP) race,  from controlling the shaded lane.

“I’m just so happy, I’m waiting for a year to get this and I got it,” said Slaughter, a transferee from University of the Visayas.

Aldrech Ramos had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds,  while 2010  MVP  RR Garcia chipped in 16 points, four boards, four assists and two  steals for the Tamaraws.

Trailing by  as much as 10, 18-28, FEU took the upperhand at 34-33  with  Garcia completing a three-point play with less than a  minute left in the first half.

But just like in their 64-82 loss in the series opener, the Tamaraws  suffered  another  third  quarter   breakdown, while the Blue Eagles went hot, where a three-pointer by reserve Tonino Gonzaga gave  them a 57-43  cushion.

FEU  never recovered, as Ateneo posted  the biggest lead  of  the game, 74-55, after Salva drilled in a jumper at the 4:12 mark.

It  was  the   second straight finals series that the Tamaraws were swept by the  Blue Eagles.

Meanwhile, Parks formally claimed  the seniors division MVP plum in a short ceremonies before  the match.

FEU’s Raiza Palmera and Jerie Pingoy took the MVP in the women’s at juniors division, respectively.

The Mythical Five in the seniors division was composed of Adamson’s Alex  Nuyles, Parks, Ramos,  Slaughter and   Ravena, who also clinched  the  ‘Rookie of the Year’ honors.

The scores:

Ateneo  (82)  --  Ravena 18, Salva 15, Slaughter 11, Tiongson 11, Monfort 9, Gonzaga 6, Chua 5, Long 5, Erram 2, Austria 0, Golla 0, Pessumal 0, Sumalinog 0.

FEU (69)   -- Ramos 20, Garcia 16, Romeo 7, Tolomia 7, Bringas 4, Escoto 4, Exciminiano 4, Foronda 3, Cruz 2, Noundou 2, Knuttel 0, Mendoza 0, Pogoy 0.

Quarterscores: 23-18; 35-36; 57-45; 82-69