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.
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