6 Points: AdMU vs. AdU (Round 2)

Ateneo 79, Adamson 66

-For teams that badly need a string of wins, a blowout would indeed be a pleasing sight, especially if it occurs late in the third period and there seems to be no more hope of a comeback. This is what the Blue Eagles faced as they finished the third period with a 25-point lead against the slumping Adamson Falcons. However, due to a few errors, not to mention various and-ones, unnecessary cross-court turnovers, and an unsportsmanlike foul, the Falcons has caught up through a huge 19-0 run. However, the trifecta of Kiefer Ravena, Ryan Buenafe, and Chris Newsome saved the day once again as they restored the double digit lead and sustained it until the end of the game. It will be easy to criticize the team's lack of effort in sustaining the lead during the first five minutes of the fourth; however, one should not be too quick to judge it as a meltdown, especially when we consider the fact that Coach Bo Perasol did not call a timeout in order to train the team to handle situations by themselves as well as make adjustments while keeping in mind his instructions.

-The Blue Eagles are on a roll with four straight wins, and so is Kiefer Ravena who provided the firepower that was missing in their first three games (and first three losses) of the season. In those four games (UP, UST, UP again, and then this game), Ravena averaged 15.0ppg and accounted for 22.5% of the team's total points scored in these games, which is pretty big considering that in three out of these four games, Coach Bo Perasol stretched the team's rotation which means less minutes for him. This all the more confirms the fact that he is the heart and soul of the Blue Eagles of Season 76. If he continues to play like that, then it is still possible for the Blue Eagles to go for a sweep of the second round, at best, and make it to the Final Four.

-Steady defense and efficient offense are the weapons that the Blue Eagles had against the Falcons even in their first round match, and not only is this the theme of the past five games, but also the past five seasons. In this game, the Blue Eagles have played magnificent defense, shutting down Adamson's shooters and sealing hotspots while taking the time to gang up on rebounds. On the other side of the court, they were able to play solid offense, settling for close-range shots and points in the paint, besides sticking with their usual horns offense (but now with Ravena manning the post more since he returned from his injury) and with Buenafe and Newsome coming off as the usual second options. And at first glance, one could say that this is one of the most efficient games of the Blue Eagles on both ends.

-Nobody noticed the huge presence of sixteenth man Ivan Enriquez outside the Blue Eagles' matches against Adamson, but here he came up as a quality energy player who was able to keep Ingrid Sewa out of his comfort zone despite the huge size advantage. Fouling out of the game early was expected given the huge disadvantage (but the same could not be said of JP Erram, who should be more familiar with defending bigger frontcourt members after nine games), but he showed what it takes to manhandle the paint and make life difficult even for imports. And with what he has shown, it would be possible for him to team up with Frank Golla to guard a Charles Mammie, Karim Abdul, or an Arnold Van Opstal in the next few games.

-Sewa continued to be a monster in the paint, but not as well as he should despite the height advantage. It is surprising that the Blue Eagles' strategy of ganging up on him worked, and the fouls were forgivable considering that Sewa shot 7 of 12 from the charity stripe. Jericho Cruz has been rendered ineffective save for the final minutes of "not-so-garbage" time. Brondial did much of the damage late in the game but to no avail, and Roider Cabrera swished a triple only once. The Ateneo defense pretty much taken them out of their game, but one should also recognize that since their win against the NU Bulldogs, the Falcons experienced a two game slump which includes this game. Their winning margin for the past two games soared to -23.5, which is far from the team that garnered a close win and a close loss against NU and DLSU, respectively. During the beginning of the season, they were tagged as favorites, with Cruz, Roider Cabrera, and Sewa at the helm. But now, they are nothing but a shadow of what they were supposed to be, and it seems that the chances of making it again at the Final Four are slimming, not to mention that they still have to face top tier teams like FEU and UE.

-Insofar as winning the big games is concerned, the Blue Eagles have not yet proven anything. If at all, the matches against UP and Adamson are nothing but warm-up games to keep their toes on the court. The next five battles will be crucial, as it would determine how tough can the Blue Eagles get when they have games that can possibly go down the wire or extend to overtime. If they can overcome this, then a six-peat is more than possible.

The Scores:

The scores:

Ateneo79 – Ravena 18, Buenafe 18, Newsome 9, Elorde 9, Tiongson 7, Pessumal 6, Golla 6, Erram 2, Enriquez 2, Capacio 2, Tolentino 0, Lim 0

Adamson 66 – Sewa 17, Rios 14, Cruz 14, Brondial 14, Cabrera 2, Inigo 2, Agustin 2, Trollano 0, Petilos 0, Monteclaro 0, Julkipli 0, Abrigo 0


Quarter scoring: 19-13, 33-26, 57-32, 79-66

Credits to the Fabilioh Facebook page for the post and GMA News Online for the box.

Gameday Sunday: 18 August 2013

Is there any need for explanation why this is called Gameday? One thing to note, though, is that there will always be something significant to look at, and that's why we put the Spotlight on it.

UAAP

National U 80, Adamson 48

Wow. Just wow.This was a serious attack there brought by the Bulldogs, just a few days after they delivered the FEU Tamaraws' first loss. And by handing the Soaring Falcons' second straight loss which pummeled them further down the seventh spot, it seems that the promise to be contenders, despite having a reliable big man in Ingrid Sewa, will just remain to be a promise. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are proving that they deserve to have that number one spot that the Tams stole from them way back in Round 1

Spotlight: A year ago, it was rumored that Emmanuel Mbe opted out of the team in order to search for a French league where he can play and hone his skills. Fortunately for NU, it was either a rumor or a case of not having been discovered, as Mbe is back in his (questionably) fourth year as a Bulldog. And in the battle of the imports this afternoon, it was the older and more experienced one who prevailed, as Mbe tallied 21 points and 10 boards for this game.

NU 80 - Mbe 21, Parks 16, Roño 8, Porter 6, Javillonar 6, Alolino 6, Rosario 5, Khobuntin 4,  Neypes 3, Javelona 3, Villamor 2, Perez 0, Labing-isa 0, De Guzman 0, Alejandro 0

AdU 48 - Cabrera 12, Cruz 11, Sewa 8, Petilos 5, Brondial 5, Garcia 2, Agustin 2, Abrigo 2, Monteclaro 1, Trollano 0, Rios 0, Ochea 0, Julkipli 0, Inigo 0

Quarter scoring: 21-7, 37-25, 55-40, 80-48

De La Salle 75, FEU 66

First, the match against NU happened. Afterwards, this happened, and in between there was Terrence Romeo. After the first round, everyone was praising Nash Racela's fantastic dribble drive offense; however, this second round, it seems that everything is failing, not because the play isn't working, but more because the one who has been easily proclaimed as the first round MVP has been nothing but awful.

Spotlight: The biggest addition that DLSU has been so far this season is not a stronger and "improved" Jeron Teng, who has remained subpar with his free throw shooting. In fact, it's Jason Perkins, who provided a boost for the Green Archers especially in the huge 2nd quarter run that gave them a safe lead entering the second half.

DLSU 75 - Perkins 18, Teng 16, Vosotros 13, Van Opstal 9, Salem 6, Montalbo 5, Torres 4, Tampus 4, Revilla 0, Bolick 0

FEU 66 - Pogoy 16, Belo 16, Romeo 12, Tolomia 7, Garcia 6, Cruz 4, Inigo 0, Sentcheu 0, Mendoza 0, Lee Yu 0, Jose 0, Dennison 0, Delfinado 0, Aguilon 0

Quarter scoring: 23-14, 44-33, 60-50, 75-66

PBA

Barako Bull 90, Meralco 89

Admit it. You don't expect the Pocket Rocket, Emman Monfort, squeezing this win out, especially that Barako Bull has gone through a lot in the past few weeks (actually, I was talking about the blunder that is the Allein Maliksi trade). Well, for a team that Alaska coach Luigi Trillo hits at for the past few weeks, it is a pretty impressive performance out there.

Spotlight: 22 big points and 7 boards were delivered by Monfort for this team, including a go-ahead jumper that pretty much sealed the deal for the Energy Boosters. Now, who would think that this 5'7" guard would come out that big in a conference where giants dominate?

Barako Bull 90 - Singletary 28, Monfort 22, Seigle 12, Buenafe 7, Jensen 6, Pennisi 5, Intal 4, Marcelo 2, Macapagal 2, Cruz 2, Weinstein 0, Yap 0, Pena 0

Meralco 89 - West 33, Hugnatan 16, Salvacion 12, Wilson 9, Hodge 4, Guevarra 4, Ross 4, Allado 4, Vanlandingham 3, Mangahas 0

Quarter scoring: 22-21, 41-48, 66-67, 90-89

Petron 101, Ginebra 95

Finally, Coach Gee Abanilla has given some confidence back to the Petron Blaze Boosters after what happened last two conferences, including the "relegation" of Coach Olsen Racela to the San Mig Coffee Mixers alongside Coach Tim Cone. Wish the same could have been said for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, who still has to find some solid foundation in Ato Agustin.

Spotlight: It was former Blue Eagle and Powerade Tiger Doug Kramer who provided the win for Petron, as he finished the game with a double-double, 17 points and 10 rebounds. He once saved the Blue Eagles from falling behind Coach Pido Jarencio's UST Growling Tigers, supported Gary David, JVee Casio, and Marcio Lassiter in their finals bid under Coach Bo Perasol, and now he has provided key plays late in the game to seal the deal for the Blaze Boosters.

Petron 101 - Millsap 24, Lassiter 23, Cabagnot 18, Kramer 17, Santos 12, Tubid 5, Fajardo 2, Deutchman 0, Lutz 0, Lanete 0

Ginebra 95 - Lowhorn 29, Caguioa 15, Ellis 12, Tenorio 9, Aguilar 8, Wilson 7, Mamaril 6, Helterbrand 5, Baracael 4, Urbiztondo 0

Quarter scoring: 26-29, 45-52, 79-71, 101-95

#Puso : How Gilas Pilipinas Brought The Nation Back

Thirty-nine to thirty-six (39-36), Republic of Korea.

This was the situation that Gilas Pilipinas, the Philippines' national basketball team, faced after the halftime buzzer sounded. In fact, they have come to this point quite luckily. They were down by as much as nine points in the whole of the second period, until late baskets allowed them to crawl back into the game, easing the pressure that they are facing.

One could say that this can be just another game, but for the thousands of Filipinos in the Mall of Asia arena, together with the 12 members of Gilas Pilipinas and the coaching staff, this halftime deficit is both consoling and desolating. And compared to the previous matches of Gilas Pilipinas during the entire 27th FIBA Asia tournament... No, to the previous matches of all the teams that have represented the Philippines since the early 60's and 70's, this has to be the biggest.

For the first time in a decade and a half, the Philippines is a win away from qualifying to the FIBA World championships. And it was quite unfortunate to face a nation that has been its curse for the past few years. What they are up against is the South Korean basketball team, who has denied them of most of their chances to bring a country of "little, brown men" to the league where towers dominate. This is where a certain Shin Dong Pa belonged, who was pretty much automatic from the perimeter as he made shot after shot during the 1970 FIBA World Championships. And most recently, this is where a certain Lee Sang-Min belonged, one who snagged the opportunity to book a finals match against China last 2002 after two straight misses at the charity stripe by the Filipinos' own Olsen Racela. Out of all the national teams that the Philippines have faced in all the international tournaments, it has always been Korea that provided the worst heartbreaks.

That is why the halftime break was so full of tension, that it bears something heavy both to the players and the crowd. Others were already frowning because further bleeding is possible and a 3-point deficit might end up becoming a 13-point one, given the hot shooting that Korea has. Some expect a third quarter storm that has been the turning point in all of Gilas Pilipinas' matches. These questions even become bigger and more serious, perhaps, when one would enter the Gilas Pilipinas locker room and seeing Coach Chot Reyes mulling over his options and trying to deal with the problems at hand, especially of naturalized player Marcus Douthit's absence.

After the buzzer once again sounded to signal the second half, things took a drastic turn. Talk n Text Tropang Texters guard Jayson Castro fired up the arena when he initiated a personal 6-0 run against the Koreans. He sure is a dribble-drive player, and he saw that it would work against a Korean defense that has been too preoccupied with covering Gilas Pilipinas' shooters. Marc Pingris, one of the tallest Filipinos on the court, battled with hotshot Lee Seung Jun in the paint despite hobbling on both ends of the court. These two were the men of the third quarter who converted a 3-point deficit into a safe 9-point lead entering into the fourth. But behind Castro and Pingris lies the incredible support of their teammates, especially the Jones Cup MVP L.A. Tenorio, who drove into the basket like crazy only to dish open threes or midrange passes, or even Jeff Chan who made perimeter baskets one after the other.

But there's still ten minutes to play after that, and Korea took advantage of it in no time. Korean guard Kim Min-Goo found his range and shot a barrage of triples, and a run that ended with a Lee Seung Jun gave the Koreans a one-point lead. However, Gilas Pilipinas did not back down. Faced with adversity, they slugged it out even until the final minutes. And at this point, enter Jimmy Alapag and Ranidel de Ocampo. The latter slowed the pace down when everything is getting too fast for both teams, but sunk in a crucial layup and a triple to keep the game afloat. Meanwhile, the former's time has come, as he hit a step-back jumper and a quick three to finally seal the deal for Gilas Pilipinas.

Alapag's triple was the shot heard round Asia, and by the final buzzer, it was over. The ghost of South Korea that has since lingered around was sent away. The Philippine basketball team snags a ticket to Spain for the 2014 FIBA Worlds, with the opportunity to play against the taller guys whom the Filipinos only admire over cable or HD TV. All the hard work, the unwavering support that the team has gotten from their fans, have all paid off. Coach Chot Reyes can only cry in delight. The players have never been more thankful. It was that shining moment that the team has been waiting for, and it definitely outweighs all the championship moments in the UAAP, the NCAA, and the PBA. It outweighs the Jones Cup championship that Tenorio won for the team last year. It outweighs even the championship bid of the promising Sinag Pilipinas team a few years back, composed of promising talents like Kiefer Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks, and Jeron Teng. And it definitely outweighs all the heartbreak losses that the Philippines had in the previous FIBA Asia tournaments. This is the victory that the Philippines was waiting for, and it was sweeter this time around, especially when it took this long to snag another stint in the world championship, knowing that the Oceania teams will join Asia and it would take long for the Philippines again to take home court advantage.

Gilas Pilipinas could have wished that this was the last match for them, but they still have one more match in the finals to grab that championship, this time from the behemoths of Iran. However, the "one after the big one" turned out to be the usual plotlines: like the Shohoku basketball team losing to Aiwa after their biggest match against Sannoh, like the 2013 Lakers falling against the Spurs after securing the seventh playoff seed. Due to the absence of Douthit and the fatigue taking its toll on Gilas, the Iranians prevailed with a double-digit victory in the end, grabbing the championship once again. The Filipino crowd could have wished for a championship, but instead settled for a silver medal. Nevertheless, this team is going to Spain and will have a crack at getting what was once an impossible dream: basketball supremacy.  With the pool of international players, it would seem to remain impossible, but it would be better if this team, which the world might see as ragtag underdogs, will have a chance to prove itself.

6 Points: AdMU vs. UP (Round 2)

Ateneo 67, State U 59

-It seems that both these teams have the FIBA Asia hangover. While the UP Fighting Maroons were shooting lights out like what Gilas Pilipinas did during their quarterfinal match against Kazakstan, the Blue Eagles were slumping like a beach of bored audience members on both ends in the first half. The Fighting Maroons led by one point as the haftime buzzer sounded, 34-33, but their lead was up by as large as 11 early in the second quarter. Fortunately, Kiefer Ravena just woke up in time to lead the Blue Eagles to a second half domination, earning them their 4th win (3rd consecutive) and a chance to go on a three-way tie at the fourth place.

-This was just the first time that Newsome was forced to ride the bench after having garnered quick fouls in the first half and was not able to contribute much in the court. However, he was able to make up for it by putting the finishing touches for this match. too bad he failed to deliver a big throwdown early in the game, during the time when the Blue Eagles were missing even the closest shots to the basket.

-It seems that Kiefer Ravena is back to almost a hundred percent, thanks to the long break provided by the FIBA Asia Tournament. He had a 14-14-5-3 afternoon after limited play for more than three weeks due to a Grade 3 ankle sprain. Now that Ravena looks like a well-oiled scoring machine as the pre-season analyses have predicted him to be, there will be no more excuses for the Blue Eagles as they proceed with the second round, trying to get at least that 3rd or 4th playoff spot.

-The Ateneo big men were out cold during the game, with a lot of mistakes and fumbles in this game. Frank Golla and JP Erram only had 12 points, but had really bad turnovers. These are the things that the Blue Eagles cannot afford to have when they're battling it out against an Arnold Van Opstal, or a Charles Mammie, or an Ingrid Sewa, and it's just fortunate that these guys were able to see their mistakes as early as this UP match.

-Joseph Marata started out with a 3 of 5 clip from the three-point line early in the game, but had 2 of 8 after that, with a lot of them being airballs. He did have 15 points, but if the UP Maroons are still insisting on putting Marata as the first option, then it would appear that the Fighting Maroons are again bound for another winless season. Can they just use Martin Pascual, Paul Desiderio, or even Kyles Lao as first options and have Marata camp and shoot instead? That would be more effective.

-One thing that the Blue Eagles to-do list has to have would be more consistent defensive stops coupled with perfect offensive finishes. During the first quarter, the team lacked a sense of urgency to tighten their D when the Fighting Maroons hit shot after shot after shot, adding to the awful offensive output that is as bad as an unfinished Ravena layup. It was a good thing that the Blue Eagles picked up late, but it would be impossible for them to surmount double-digit leads against higher-seeded UAAP teams with a defense that only wishes for missed treys and perimeter jumpers.

The Scores:

Ateneo 67 - Ravena 14, Tiongson 11, Newsome 11, Buenafe 7, Golla 6, Erram 6, Elorde 4, Capacio 4, Tolentino 2, Pessumal 2, Murphy 0, Enriquez 0, Asistio 0

UP 59 - Marata 15, Lao 9, Asilum 8, Wong 5, Soyud 5, Gingerich 4, Desiderio 4, Pascual 3, Gallarza 3, Ligad 2, Ball 1

Quarter scoring: 14-21, 33-34, 53-47, 67-59

Credits to the Fabilioh Facebook page for the pic and GMA Online Sports for the box scores.