Ateneo 76, San Beda 63
-As far as the PCCL is concerned, the San Beda Red Lions did not come out full force, as they missed a lot of players, key players Jake Pascual, Garvo Lanete, and Sudan Daniel included, for various reasons. The Ateneo Blue Eagles, on the other hand, sans Emman Monfort due to PBADL duties, seems to be in an early rebuilding phase, giving some time for second string players to step up and show what they have got, to prepare for another probable rematch with the SSC-R Golden Stags, and perhaps for Season 75. But despite these losses, these two teams, especially the seemingly short-handed Red Lions, fought hard and brought out what was available at their arsenal to earn that one spot for the Finals. And knowing that they still have another championship to defend besides the UAAP, that slot was Ateneo's for the taking.
-In this match, we have seen the improvements of the team members who participated in the SEA Games. Kiefer Ravena flexibly shuffled between the one and two positions, shifting his style of play occasionally from being a pass-first point guard to a finishing shooting guard and back again. We have also seen Greg Slaughter's improved domination in the paint, as well as Salva's quicker decision-making especially when running breaks. Truly, the SEAGames experienced helped them in fulfilling their role as the foundations of this team come Season 75.
-This game also pointed out the things that the Ateneo crowd will miss. Kirk Long came to play, and as usual, contributed the small things that matter most in the end. And Bacon Austria? Did we not mention that he largely improved since the day he suited up for Freego Jeans in the PBADL?
-The second stringers have also shown what they have learned from the Unigames. Tonino Gonzaga seriously assumed the starting role and provided the hustle that the team needs during those crucial stretches. Most significant among his contributions were his offensive boards that gave Ateneo second chance opportunities. The way he played this game serves as a hint that it is possible for him to be inserted into the starting lineup come Season 75. JP Erram also showed that he learned some neat things in the Unigames, especially in terms of off-ball movement. On the other hand, former third stringers Von Pessumal and Gwynne Capacio seems to need more improvement in defense, something that they might want to focus on in the next few months or so. Also, Juami Tiongson needs to get a lesson in serious ballhandling, if he really wants to become the starting point guard for Season 75.
-The absence of most players in their roster did not hinder the Red Lions from playing well despite losing to the Blue Eagles in this match. Dave Marcelo somehow had his way in the paint despite being stopped by Justin Chua and Greg Slaughter, sometimes settling for perfect midrange jumpers. Rome dela Rosa, Melo Lim, and Mar Villahermosa stepped up as well, immediately sensing the urge to play the game of catching up with the rest of the Blue Eagles. For what was expected to be a walk in the park for the almost-complete Blue Eagles, these Red Lions exceeded expectations.
-The question now that remains will be, Can the Blue Eagles handle the Golden Stags twice? The Blue Eagles have suffered close losses against the Golden Stags twice, one in the Fil-Oil Preseason tournament and another just a few days ago in the PCCL Final Four. The way the Pinatubo Big Three of Calvin Abueva, Ronald Pascual, and Ian Sangalang have somehow neutralized the power of the Slaughter-Ravena-Salva trio. And being a team that specializes in defense, perhaps the best thing for the Blue Eagles to do here is to neutralize SSC-R's own trio, while keeping their offense steady in order to prevent meltdowns similar to last week's game. The Blue Eagles might have gotten away during the UAAP when Adamson was eliminated by FEU, but this is a point of no escape for them, inevitably facing a team that defeated them twice. But then, being down 1-0 (due to twice-to-beat advantage) is familiar ground to them, as they were in the same situation as they were in their last 2 PCCL championships. Expect this PCCL Finals, therefore, to be exciting and adrenaline-filled for both teams.
The Scores:
Ateneo 76 – Slaughter 20, Ravena 18, Salva 17, Chua 6, Gonzaga 5, Austria 4, Long 4, Tiongson 2, Golla 0, Pessumal 0, Capacio 0, Erram 0
San Beda 63 – Villahermosa 21, de la Rosa 14, Marcelo 7, Pascual 6, Amer 6, Lim 5, Caram 4, Sorela 0, Koga 0, Pontejos 0
Quarter scoring: 23-19, 37-28, 55-44, 76-63
Credits to Abante Tonite for the pic and Inboundpass for the box.
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