Ateneo 55, Letran 51
-It's always the case that the first game of the school year will be "forgivable," and it includes this year's first preseason game. Despite a sputtering offense from almost everyone in the roster, the Blue Eagles played stellar defense in the closing minutes to snag a win against a depleted but energized Knights. It was more of a game where everyone in the roster, especially the new ones, were given the chance to experience how it feels to slug it out in the big leagues, but more importantly, it was more of an opportunity to try out this new team that's going to play for a fifth straight championship.
-As with last year, Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter led the Blue Eagles to victory, accounting for a combined 27 points, which comprises half of Ateneo's total score. But then, Slaughter's 14 points need 12 shots to achieve, while Ravena needed 10. It seems that from these two, one can already judge that the team needs to polish their offense and defense as the Fil-Oil games come.
-Much to the excitement of every Blue Eagle fan in the Arena, former Rookie of the Year Ryan Buenafe has finally entered the court after a year-long hiatus which he needed to clear his academic records. But the Buenafe who brought Ateneo its third straight UAAP plum last 2009 is still to come in the next few games. In this one, he acted as a playmaker, drawing defenders in order for the other Blue Eagles to find their sweet spots. This resulted to 3 assists and various fancy passes that wowed the blue crowd in Buenafe's 15 minutes of play.
-It is also nice to see, in the middle of a bad game, the soon-to-be Blue Eagle newbies showing flashes of brilliance. Nico Elorde, in front of some basketball enthusiasts in green, has shown how he can contribute when given the chance. He continually hounded the Letran guards, consistently blocking their passing and driving lanes once he steps into the court. The Ateneo crowd still has to see an offensive explosion from him, and it might happen early in the pre-season tournament as he is expected to play longer as the Blue Eagle's steady number one. On the other hand, former Blue Eaglet Kris Porter showed that he could be a legit big man in the way he manned the post in his short stint in the game. With guys like this, it seems that Ateneo is headed for a still brighter future, considering that a large chunk of the roster will leave after Season 75 due to graduation.
-The Letran Knights did not have Raymond Almazan in last Saturday's linep, and swingman Kevin Alas played only during the opening and closing minutes of the game because of injury. But despite the absence of the Knights' offensive foundation, the rest of the team stepped up and made life difficult for the Blue Eagles. Mark Cruz, the younger brother of former UP Maroon Marvin Cruz, used his athleticism to get past the Blue Eagles' guards and distract the zone defense to give way for easy inside baskets by Junjun Alas and Jam Cortes, who led the Knights in scoring. Kevin Racal and Carlo Lituania scored key baskets late in the fourth period, including the latter's shot beyond the arc that tied the game, only to be countered by a Ravena three. The only thing that's bothering about Letran is that their offensive weapons looked hesitant to shoot or drive once a Blue Eagle runs to them, a mistake which can easily be corrected in their Fil-Oil stint. If Letran plays this well against other teams, then they could promise a return in the Final Four of NCAA's Season 88.
-The game could have been easily won early in the second half, when the Blue Eagles has a strong grip of an 11-point lead; however, certain lapses in the defense, coupled with bad shooting, paved the way for Letran to stage a comeback that could have been successful if not for Jonathan Belorio's missed lay-up in the closing minutes of the fourth period. What the Blue Eagles need to work on in the periphery is the way they sustain leads, and this has something to do with the rotation. Perhaps in the next Fil-Oil games, we will see how Assistant Coach Sandy Arespacochaga will create synergy for the second and third units (interesting question: will Von Pessumal and Gwynne Capacio find their place?)
The Scores:
Ateneo 55 - Slaughter 14, Ravena 13, Gonzaga 7, Tiongson 4, Chua 4, Elorde 2, Erram 2, Salva 2, Capcio 2, Porter 2, Golla 1, Sumalinog 1, Buenafe 1, Pessumal 0, Babilonia 0
Letran 51 - Cortes 14, Racal 10, Cruz 10, Lituania 8, Gabriel 6, Gabawan 2, Belorio 0, Alas J. 0, Pantin 0, Luib 0, Alas K. 0, Cudal 0
Quarter Scoring: 16-12, 31-21, 45-42, 55-51
Credits to the Fil-Oil Flying V Facebook page for the photo.
