6 Points: AdMU vs. FEU (Round 2)

Ateneo 74, Far Eastern U 67 (OT)

-Before the events that have recently transpired, let's backtrack a few steps to see how the Tamaraws fared against the Blue Eagles in similar situations:

• Season 72, Round 2 Elims (AdMU wins 74-73, clinches number one spot, went on to win their second straight championship)

The FEU Tamaraws were ahead by as much as 18 points entering the fourth quarter. The Eagles then went into berserk mode, making their shots from downtown and drawing and-ones to claw back into the game, thanks mostly to that guy wearing number 13. The heartbreak for the Tamaraws, though, was Reil Cervantes' split from the charity stripe after a Rabeh Al-Hussaini basket that could have sent the game to overtime.

• Season 73, Finals Game 2 (AdMU wins 65-62, clinches third straight championship)

This is a softer case. After a 72-49 beating of the Tamaraws in the first game, the Eagles found themselves behind by nine (though it was as large as a 12-point margin) after the first quarter of Game 2. Again, thanks to teamwork and the clutch three-pointer by, again, that guy wearing number 13, they were able to win the game and their third straight title.

Boy, does FEU have butterfingers over leads.

-It is expected that the second round would be difficult, as teams would double their efforts and learn from their previous encounters with the Blue Eagles, hoping that they could at least prevent an elimination round sweep. FEU was one of the hopefuls to do just that. They made sure that their players get to their spots and shoot after kick outs, and on the defensive end at least check Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter. But  the ending of the story didn't go to their favor, as Ateneo extended the game to overtime, took the lead and won their eighth game.

-"Clutch" would be the one word that summarizes this game (… or at least the last two minutes of regulation and the overtime). Down by 6, 57-63, with a little more than a minute remaining, Emman Monfort and Kiefer Ravena stepped on the gas pedal to score six straight points and send the game to overtime. The former stole an inbound pass and ran to the other side for a quick lay up, while the latter was able to make two driving lay ups that shattered the hopes of the FEU crowd. This is how Ateneo trusts its small and mighty point guard and the Phenom that it can call their own.

-RR Garcia was outstanding in this contest, as he hit shot after shot in the first half (yes, even with three defenders raising their hands). He had 17 big points spread around the court, from lay ups to spot-up jumpers and three pointers. Apparently, he was not able to carry his team for the win, with that last three pointer that got the FEU crowd prematurely celebrating (including his chestbump with Ping Exciminiano).

-Goaltending on Greg Slaughter for blocking Garcia's shot? Not quite. Garcia's layup would not have gotten in because it bounced away from the goal (meaning the board and the ring). What Slaughter just did, based on appearances, was use the board for a teammate to grab the ball and sprint towards the other side. Or this may be a wrong way of looking at it.

-Justin Chua led the bench today with nine big points, most of them off free throws after banging bodies and fishing fouls from the Tamaraws' bigs. Although he just had 1 of 5 shots, he made up for it by posting a decent 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. Tonino Gonzaga, the Blue Eagles' energy off the bench, had 6 big points after playing for 16 minutes. On the other hand, Frank Golla still needs improvement in terms of putback shots, for he had two terrible ones that could have shifted the momentum earlier. Do we see the gradual rise of the bench here? Hopefully. If Chua is this dangerous, then the Blue Eagles will not have a problem matching up against almost every frontcourt member of any team.

The Scores:

Ateneo 74 – Salva 18, Ravena 15, Slaughter 14, Chua 9, Monfort 7, Gonzaga 6, Long 3, Austria 2, Tiongson 0, Golla 0

FEU 67 – Garcia 17, Romeo 11, Cruz 10, Ramos 8, Escoto 7, Bringas 6, Tolomia 5, Exciminiano 3, Pogoy 0, Mendoza 0, Knuttel 0

Quarter scoring: 13-21, 25-38, 42-47, 63-63, 74-67

History notes from Fast & The Spurious, photo from Fabilioh, and box from InboundPass.