▁the ▁P adre ▁Fa ura ▁gate ▁of ▁the ▁A ten e o . ▁However . ▁the ▁La ▁S alle ▁c age ▁team ▁was ▁dis bar red ▁for ▁field ing ▁an ▁in el ig ible ▁player ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁( although ▁the ▁title ▁would ▁not ▁become ▁A ten e o ' s ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁two ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁defeat ). ▁ ▁A ten e o – La ▁S alle ▁games ▁were ▁always ▁he ated , ▁for ▁both ▁schools ▁were ▁exclus ively ▁for ▁males . ▁However , ▁La ▁S alle ▁during ▁its ▁st int ▁in ▁the ▁NCAA ▁was ▁not ▁as ▁strong ▁a ▁cont ender ▁as ▁A ten e o ▁was ▁( see ▁A ten e o – San ▁B eda ▁rival ry ), ▁with ▁A ten e o ▁not ▁meeting ▁La ▁S alle ▁again ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁Final s , ▁where ▁A ten e o ▁pre va iled . ▁A ten e o – La ▁S alle ▁games ▁are ▁now ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁anticip ated ▁games ▁of ▁the ▁U A AP ▁season . ▁ ▁A ten e o – San ▁B eda ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁departure ▁of ▁University ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁the ▁A ten e o ▁de ▁Man ila ▁and ▁San ▁B eda ▁College ▁field ed ▁the ▁dominant ▁basketball ▁teams ▁for ▁several ▁seasons , ▁having ▁won ▁the ▁last ▁six ▁titles ▁between ▁them . ▁It ▁was ▁in ▁this ▁context ▁that ▁the ▁fier ce ▁rival ry ▁between ▁the ▁A ten e o ▁and ▁San ▁B eda