-Season 74's first game confirmed that Adamson is one of those teams that could get Ateneo when caught red-handed. Applying the lessons learned in summer camps and tournament, Coach Leo Austria of the Falcons seemed to find holes and made the most out of the situation, which in turn was a call for the Blue Eagles to play at their best, especially in the final minutes of the game. Luckily, Ateneo was able to focus on what is at hand to escape with their first win of Season 74.
-It's quite surprising that against a team this threatening, Coach Norman Black opted to mix and match twelve men to match that of Coach Leo's ten, which features five experienced Falcons who are familiar with the Eagles' ways last year. The results were fruitful, as Ateneo was able to see individual strengths and weaknesses, and how they can be blended in various game situations.
-The Blue Eagles were also maximized their advantage in the person of Greg Slaughter, who has the height and the hoops to own any Adamson big man who presents himself as an obstacle to the basket. He led the Eagles both in scoring (23 markers) and rebounds (8) for this game, and add two blocked shots (the other being the crucial one as he was able to stop a driving Lester Alvarez whose attempt could have tied the game and sent it to overtime). Now, who wouldn't want to have someone like that when push comes to shove in the next thirteen games?
-What kept Adamson up in the game was the way they set up plays for Cañada, Alvarez, Cabrera, and Nuyles to make their shots from beyond the arc. They made 9 three-pointers out of 22, most of them in the third quarter when they stole Ateneo's six-point lead after the half and even extended their lead up to seven. Unfortunately, one who lives by the three dies by the three, and with these guys firing blanks, they were not able to score in the last five or so minutes of the game.
-Another surprise here was the sudden (but hopefully, brief) disappearance of Kiefer Ravena, with Coach Black commenting after the game that he was being posted up by the Falcons' guards, leaving him helpless on the D. Hopefully, Ravena will make the necessary adjustments to up his game on both ends.
-This first game definitely said a lot (of course not all) about the essential things that the Blue Eagles need to improve on before they face DLSU next week. And I hope that The Sixth Men do their job, not just after Greg Slaughter dunks.
Scores:
Ateneo 55 – Slaughter 23, Long 10, Salva 8, Monfort 6, Erram 3, Gonzaga 3, Austria 2, Ravena 0, Tiongson 0, Sumalinog 0, Golla 0, Chua 0
Adamson 51 – Nuyles 11, Alvarez 8, Cañada 6, Camson 6, Cabrera 6, Manyara 5, Lozada 3, Etrone 2, Brondial 2, Colina 2
Quarter scoring: 16-12, 33-27, 43-44, 55-51
Credits to inboundpass.com for both the photo and the box scores.
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