Ateneo 70, UST 71
-Keeping the opponent within the 30-point range in the first half had never been easier for the Blue Eagles than today, as they had a huge 15-point lead as the halftime buzzer sounded. However, it seems that the game is played for 40 minutes, with 2 more quarters left in the game. Sadly, they gave time (and space) for the UST Growling Tigers to crawl back and eventually control the game, which led to a close Tiger victory, one that has not happened in more than 6 years, after that 2006 Finals victory that was UST's for taking.
-The famous "third quarter storm" of the Blue Eagles did not come, with Greg Slaughter sitting for most of the third in foul trouble. Instead, the Growling Tigers took advantage of the lack of inside presence strategically, as they had Jeric Fortuna and Aljon Mariano drive into the paint, while Jeric Teng and Clark Bautista took care of matters beyond the arc. As a result, the 15-point halftime lead turned into a 4-point deficit for the dominant Blue Eagles, and with that, the Tigers never looked back, as they made key baskets thanks to the Jerics, Teng and Fortuna, with the former hitting a big three to keep things difficult for the Blue Eagles to make a huge comeback.
-Ateneo offense thrived in the open court early, and with Kiefer Ravena running the breaks and finishing magnificently after a slump in the summer league and in the first game, it seems that it will be an easy win for the Blue Eagles. However, whatever he has given, he has also taken away. Ravena went to the line twice during the final five minutes of the game, and he both split those charities, missing the first in both instances. Had those charity shots been made, then the Blue Eagles could have easily won the game. Nevertheless, it's good news for those in blue that the former Rookie of the Year has recovered from his slump and ready to take over once again.
-Starting PG Juami Tiongson performed exceptionally well in this match, as he notched 9 assists and made two big triples to bring the Blue Eagles closer to the Growling Tigers' fourth quarter lead (albeit the last one was too late for Ateneo to stage a comeback). For a team that needs an excellent point guard to lead the team on both sides, Tiongson is gradually fitting in the role, and perhaps he just needs to improve on his defense in order to match faster guards.
-The Growling Tigers have to get all the credit at the time they threw everything at the offensive end. Teng, Fortuna, and Mariano handled the situation very well and took advantage of the Blue Eagles' faltering defense. The biggest improvement for the Tigers, however, is Karim Abdul, who bravely faced the Ateneo big men and forced his way into the paint, With Abdul being the Tigers' legitimate center that can dominate the paint, their shooters will have enough space from beyond the arc, which makes the Tigers a legitimate offensive powerhouse, and in the last two minutes of the game, we have seen how this one went on.
-With this loss, the Blue Eagles can only look forward, and it is an imperative that they review this game and learn from their mistakes. Up next is the NU Bulldogs, who dominated without a single loss in the Preseason Cup. All the Blue Eagle fans could hope is that they use this loss as a motivation to avoid another one, which would place them below the .500 bracket for the first time in years.
The Scores
Ateneo 70 - Ravena 19, Salva 17, Slaughter 9, Tiongson 8, Buenafe 5, Sumalinog 4, Elorde 3, Chua 3, Golla 2, Gonzaga 0, Erram 0
UST 71 - Mariano 21, Teng 16, Abdul 14, Fortuna 11, Ferrer 4, Bautista 3, Lo 2, Pe 0, Daquioag 0, Afuang 0
Quarter scores: 27-12, 43-28, 54-58, 70-71
Credits to Guidon Sports for the pic and GMA News TV for the box.
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