Season 76 Senior Salute

The Blue Eagles' tough season ended with an 82-74 loss against the UST Growling Tigers last 18 September, which booted them out of the Final Four after 14 years, ending as well that magnificent five-year championship run in the men's basketball division. However, this big loss (the biggest even) that the Blue Eagles had would not be the final word for the team's graduating seniors, who have contributed a lot to Blue Eagles basketball in their own way. If not for them, the five straight championships in these past seasons might not have been possible.

So without further ado, the graduating class of Season 76.

Frank Golla

Season 76 statline: 4.5ppg, 2.9rpg, 0.3apg, 0.3spg, 0.1bpg, 23.2mpg

Let's admit it, Golla isn't one of those who were admired by the team, and most of the time he was on the receiving end of criticism, especially now that he serves as the anchor of the Blue Eagles in the paint after the departure of Justin Chua, Greg Slaughter, and Nico Salva. But after Season 76, what matters is that Golla stayed for one more year, and took up the difficult task that was expected of him. He showed that he can contribute to this team not only inside the paint, but even six or seven feet outside of it, knocking down jumpers every now and then. He also surprised some Blue Eagles fans by finishing some good plays set up by Kiefer Ravena or Ryan Buenafe to him, being on the receiving end of crazy passes on the inside. In the end, the Blue Eagles can only be thankful that in a year wherein the team is searching for a big man, at least they found one in Golla.

JP Erram

Season 76 statline: 4.8ppg, 5.2rpg, 0.4apg, 0.1spg, 1.0bpg, 13.9mpg

During the Finals of Season 76, then-Coach Norman Black took the risk of fielding a rookie to man the fort. Blue Eagle fans have seen him as the second coming of Nonoy Baclao during the preseason, but no one expected him to log minutes on a playoff game. Fortunately, the risk paid off, as the Blue Eagles have found a secret weapon in Erram, as a go-to guy when the team needs to have a big man stretch defenses on the offensive end while preventing point in the paint on the defensive end.

Erram's career was already on track to replace Greg Slaughter in the five spot, but was sidetracked when his ACL was injured last Season 75. Since then, the former volleyball player from Ateneo de Cagayan was relegated to s bench role, replacing Golla. But despite being in such position, he did not fail to deliver when logging minutes, as he was remembered to be on the receiving end of junior Blue Eagle Von Pessumal's passes from the inside, as well as shooting midrange jumpers. The Blue Eagles could have gotten more from him had he not gotten injured, but his effort has been more than enough and commendable in his four years of stay in the team.

Juami Tiongson

Season 76 statline: 10.9ppg, 3.0rpg, 2.2apg, 0.7spg, 0.1bpg, 26.7mpg

Before entering the college ranks, Tiongson was one of the Blue Eagles' prolific scorers, being a three point specialist who can also penetrate and score off ceiling-high floaters. However, in the seniors'division, he had to wait for a few more years before he can show the Blue Eagles just exactly what he can do.

Tiongson started out in Season 74, relieving for point guard Emman Monfort as court general (or sometimes on the two spot as replacement for Kiefer Ravena), and he did not disappoint, showing his skills more on the offensive end. Season 75, however, was his baptism of fire, as he started alongside Ravena on the backcourt. And during that season, he showed that his stint as a Blue Eaglet star is not just about him scoring, but also taking the helm as a court general.

Ryan Buenafe

Season 76 statline: 11.1ppg, 8.2rpg, 3.3apg, 1.4spg, 0.7bpg, 29.9mpg

Once in a while, the Blue Eagles had players that make a big difference in the game and have become signposts of success. During the early 2000's there was Larry Fonacier, who shot triple after triple after triple en route to big victories. A little further on, we have L.A. Tenorio, the ferocious court general who not only leads offensive assaults with crazy dribbles and passes, but also with surprise triples and drives. This generation of the Blue Eagles has another one of those icons, which came in the person of Ryan Buenafe.

If "clutch" couldn't appropriately describe Buenafe in his past five years of playing for the Blue Eagles (Seasons 71-73, 75 and 76), maybe this video will:


Buenafe was one of the rookies that the Blue Eagle fans of Season 70 have been waiting for, as early as the time when the team lost to the Green Archers during their Final Four semifinal match. And when Season 71 began, he did not disappoint. Every chance for him to score or assist is always a thing of beauty, for he finishes either with a crazy pass to a cutting teammate, a wild kick-out to a sure triple, or an acrobatic layup that frequently leads to an and-one. His biggest moment came in Season 73, when in the dying minutes of the second Finals match against FEU, he sank an elbow triple, one of his few successful attempts, that sealed not only the victory against the Tamaraws, but also the pivotal third straight championship.

But besides that, he was everything but an efficient scorer. He does not post wild statistical figures (the best for this season being his near triple-double against the Adamson Falcons in Round 1), but everything he does on the court matter a lot, from those crucial passes and attempts at fadeaway jumpers to the gestures or short verbal jabs that he makes against his opponents. That is why those who root for other teams in the UAAP hate his antics so much inasmuch as those in blue loves the way he slings them (which had some followers of the league saying, Ok naman ang Ateneo, si Buenafe lang talaga eh).

In a league that has gone to be friendlier, with rivalries gone softer (with how stars Kiefer Ravena, Jeron Teng, and Kevin Ferrer talk to each other on Twitter), the whole Blue Eagles team remained to play a "gentlemanly" kind of basketball... well, except maybe for Buenafe. This guy knows how to mess with the opponents' psyche (ask the Tengs, or Kevin Ferrer, or Almond Vosotros), but more than that, he has gestures that pump up the Sixth Man. It could have started with Season 73, when he raised his jersey up high to show the whole Araneta Coliseum who rightfully owns the UAAP championship. After his Season 74 break, he went back with his antics, even sporting some hair day while putting a gesture after sinking a three. And in Season 76, he remains the hope for the Blue and White, as he also makes a weird sign of the cross gesture, but this time with three fingers out and ending with what resembles to be a throat-slash.

All of these is what made Ryan Buenafe what he is, and Ateneo basketball will have to wait for a few more years, decades even, to have someone like him to don the blue and white.

Pics from Fabilioh.com Facebook page, Stats from pba-online.net.

6 Points: AdMU vs. UST (Round 2)

Ateneo 74, Sto. Tomas 82
Growling Tigers eliminate the Blue Eagles out of Final Four Contention

The fourteen year streak has ended. In a nearly dominating fashion, the Growling Tigers have finally put away all hopes for the Blue Eagles to get six straight championships for the men's basketball tournament in the UAAP. It was at least their own version of getting revenge against the Blue Eagles, who have deprived them of a championship last Season 75, even sealing another victory during this season's first round. They have mounted a lead as large as 18, and despite the Blue Eagles threatening to snag the win, Jeric Teng and Tata Bautista have held the fort and built another huge lead in the fourth which, unfortunately for the fans in blue, was never overcome. And with the Blue Eagles out of the Final Four, this is the first time in fourteen years that they have not entered the postseason, which is the longest run during the past two decades.

Players to mark: Chris Newsome and Juami Tiongson. Newsome's three fouls early in the first quarted limited him to only 21 minutes of play, making life difficult for the Blue Eagles to defend the paint and thus fall down into a double-digit hole during the first half. But with the way he played in the second half (not only in the big Blue Eagle run that had the Blue Eagles hold on to the lead for at least five minutes, but also in the final minutes of catch-up basketball), it would be safe to assume that the game could have gone otherwise had he not been limited by his fouls. In this game, he had 13 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, a block, and a turnover, all in just 21 minutes. What is amazing is that Newsome averages 30 minutes a game, and he pretty much reached his game averages (13.1ppg, 8.6rpg, 2.6apg, 0.6spg, 0.5bpg, 2.6TOpg). Moreover, his presence on the court makes life difficult for the UST's frontcourt guys.

But one major disappointment at this game would be Juami Tiongson, who fell flat compared to his season averages. During the last 13 games, Tiongson was the Blue Eagles' fourth best scorer with 10.9ppg, making at least 3 triples a game. However, during the most important moment of his career, he was not able to duplicate his previous performances as he ended up with just 2 points, 3 rebounds, a dime and a swipe, coupled with two turnovers. Tiongson became the missing link in this game in the absence of Newsome, as he was not able to make the shots that he normally takes, especially those corner and elbow threes that could have made a big difference.

Some final remarks on Kiefer Ravena and the Last Buenagame. The Phenom ended his third year of college basketball, perhaps his worst so far since he started to play for the Blue and White, with 20 big points, leading the Blue Eagles in this game. However, despite being Ateneo's top scorer in this game, he was not able to (virtually) single-handedly lead the Blue Eagles to win in their most important game. Not only did he miss crucial free throws in the final minutes (both attempts at the charity stripe that could have trimmed further the six-point lead that the Growling Tigers have during the last few minutes of the game), but he also served as the tail-end of bad miscues. This last game he had might have been a salvation of sorts, as he ended up with only 3 points and out of the game (ejected with five fouls) in the Blue Eagles' bout against NU; but then, however good this game could be for him, it did not translate into win.

And regarding Ravena's over-all performance this season, two things can be brought up. First, his ankle injury cost him a lot, not only in terms of missing three crucial games during the beginning of the eliminations, but also in terms of his overall performance. Ravena was not his own, dominating self during this season, as he posed different highs (in scoring and rebounding) and lows (free throw shooting) this season. And related to this is the second, the fact that he did not live up that much to the expectations that he can carry this team (at least for this season), having Newsome and Ryan Buenafe on his side. One could justify that the lack of big men also hindered Ravena's output this season, but even with that fact, it should not have decline not that much. But then, expect Ravena to come back hungrier and stronger next season as he enters his final two playing years.

And Ryan Buenafe? The whole UAAP will miss him so much; however, his game did not turn out that big during his last game, with little results yielded by maximum effort. Those 9 points and 7 rebounds (3 of 13 from the field) were undoubtedly big, but he could have done definitely more, despite the fact that it's not far from his 11-point, 8-rebound average. However, this does not discount the fact that he's the best clutch player that the Blue Eagles have seen during the past few years, and he has it all to make it big in the PBA, moreso if he continues to improve his versatile game.

Karim-ed Down. Two statlines to show how Karim Abdul became a big factor in the Growling Tigers' win:

A: 25 pts, 11/18 FG, 9 rebs
B: 17 pts, 7/25 FG, 11 rebs

Statline A is Karim Abdul's, which shows that Pido Jarencio's plan in the first half to dump the ball on him on the low post pretty much worked against the Blue Eagles. This is perhaps Abdul's biggest game in the eliminations, affirming the fact that he is the fulcrum of the Growling Tigers' offense, because without him, Jeric Teng or Clark Bautista or even Kevin Ferrer can't even get to their sweet spots.

And Statline B? That was Frank Golla, JP Erram, and Buenafe's statline. Without Newsome, the Blue Eagles' frontcourt could not do anything against Abdul, either giving up duty fouls or just letting him score from the inside. What happened in this game is nothing but a summary of the Blue Eagles' defense without a big man to anchor and hold the fort down. Yes, it is true that they were able to somehow contain a lot of big men in the league this season (Charles Mammie, Anthony Hargrove, and all the towering combinations that DLSU gave them); however, this did not happen tonight. If the Blue Eagles would want to get that crown back in the next season, they have to get themselves a big man. News is the team already chose to ride the waves, getting and training an African center to do the dirty job alongside transferee Ponso Gotladera. If that is the case, then things are going to be interesting insofar as Season 77 is concerned.

The game of triples. What I'm talking about is not the total triples that both teams make (Ateneo made 7 of their 22 attempts, while UST had 4 of 19), but it is the three triples early in the fourth quarter that sealed the win for the Growling Tigers. Clark Bautista made two corner threes without a man to defend him, and Jeric Teng, in his best game since returning from his shoulder injury (17 markers and 9 boards), got one via a stop-and-pop move. Had the Blue Eagles stopped at least one of those triples, then it might still be possible to salvage the game and snag that last Final Four slot. Again, it's brought about by the difficulty of not having a big man, as they put too much pressure on Abdul but giving up opportunities from the outside. Credit, though, goes to the Growing Tigers for having taken advantage of this the whole game long.

Endgame remarks. In all struggles and defeats, new things are learned. I cannot but stress the fact that the Blue Eagles have to get a big man quick, especially now that, alongside Tiongson and Buenafe, Golla and Erram would be leaving the Blue and White as well. But besides the point, a lot of players have improved by necessity, especially Nico Elorde who has stepped up in the last three games of the Blue Eagles with his shooting (of all things) and gutsy rebounding. We also have seen what Vince Tolentino as a stretch four can do, and perhaps we'll see better things once legitimate big men will run alongside him. We have not yet seen how Anton Asistio and Earl Murphy can fully do, but there is hope for these men. With this, the Blue Eagles do not have anything to do but look forward to the next season.

The Scores:

Ateneo 74 - Ravena 20, Newsome 13, Elorde 12, Buenafe 9, Pessumal 8, Golla 4, Erram 4, Tolentino 2, Tiongson 2, Capacio 0

UST 82 - Abdul 25, Teng 17, Daquioag 13, Ferrer 10, Mariano 7, Bautista 6, Sheriff 4, Pe 0, Lo 0, Lao 0

Quarter scores: 14-25, 26-39, 51-52, 74-82

Credits to PBA-online.com for the statistics, Fabilioh for the picture, and GMA Online for the box.

6 Points: AdMU vs. DLSU (Round 2)

Ateneo 64, De La Salle 66

Sweeps have the same situations. Remember the first round battle against the Green Archers? The Blue Eagles had a big lead in the middle of the third quarter, when the Green Archers had a big run before its end, only to have the Blue Eagles scampering for a decent basket in the fourth quarter. This time, while the Blue Eagles nursed a 1-point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter, Almond Vosotros hit an elbow three and then went for a fastbreak layup after an Arnold Van Opstal swat. This happened in the last three minutes, and since then, the Blue Eagles struggled to tie the game and once more bring the lead back to the blue side. It was a lucky moment as the Blue Eagles went on a late 6-1 run to tie the game at 64 apiece, but then it was Jeron Teng and thus the Green Archers who had the last laugh as he hit the go-ahead jumper over Chris Newsome with just a few seconds remaining.

Jeron Teng and Kiefer Ravena. To raise my point, I'm going to go Bill Simmons on this one. Look at these endgame stats from two players:

Player A: 34 minutes, 12 pts (4/13 FG, 1/6 3FG, 3/8 FT), 2 rebs, 1 asst, 1 stl, 5 TOs, 2PF
Player B: 21 minutes, 8 pts (2/5 FG, 0/1 3FG, 4/9 FT), 1 reb, 1 blk, 2 TOs, 4PF

Obviously, Player A has been on the court for about 80% of the whole game (in fact that is more or less his average usage rate), while Player B has been hounded by foul trouble. However, both of these players have practically the same statistics, and I could go so far as to conclude that player B is some kind of energy backup just in case shots weren't falling for those whom he should substitute with. While Player A? That was a really really bad game.

Unfortunately, Player A's statline was Kiefer Ravena's. Fans in blue expected him to make the difference this time, being absent from the Blue Eagles' first round match against the Green Archers. However, nothing went really well from him, especially in the fourth quarter. Sure, he hit a shot clock beating triple (more out of luck than skill, I suppose), but he did commit a multitude of mistakes that he could have easily avoided. For one, there is his dismal free throw, that's even worse than his average (37.5% compared to his 52% average). He airballed some threes, most of them shot clock beaters (why were we even forced there in the first place?), and made 2 turnovers that were big for DLSU: the first one happened at the end of the first quarter, when he cost the Blue Eagles a turnover, leading to a Vosotros triple (lemme call that by its name, Vosotres) that trimmed the lead down to two, while the second one led to another Vosotres that gave the Green Archers the lead for good early in the fourth quarter. Simply put, the Phenom is not himself in this game, save for that game tying jumper that went before that Teng clutch basket.

And speaking of Jeron Teng, he came out glorious by the end of the buzzer as he sinks his usual jumper over Chris Newsome, keeping his team practically safe at the number three spot. Prior to that, he splits his FTs that made it a one-possession game, and in that short stretch the game was all his. This is not to say that Teng is now as good as Ravena (at least at this point in their college careers); however, it would seem more that Ravena went down to Teng's level (case in point: Ravena's true shooting for this game was at just 36.3%, while Teng has 44.6%). Fans in green have jeered at Teng all season long because of his bad decisions on the court especially during isolation plays as well as his awful free throw shooting, while Ravena was hailed by the fans in blue for his impact on the court. But guess what, things have come down to the same level, or even turned around at least just this once. While Ravena has been slumping in this game, Teng came out as the eventual hero who saved DLSU and granted them the sweep.

Nico Elorde's wasted effort. Nico Elorde brought out his best game today against his former school, and boy, did he really turn out to be efficient in this game. The former Green Archer tallied 13 points on 4 of 7 shooting, with 3 out of 5 triples to boot, together with 4 boards, 3 dimes, and 1 steal. Elorde came up big in the first half as he makes one triple after another, not to mention his gutsy layups, stills, and offensive rebounds spread all over. Sadly, it wasn't enough as the Blue Eagles lost, but it could easily have been Elorde who was there during the rest of the fourth quarter to replace the slumping Ravena.



The things that the Blue Eagles missed. So what did the Blue Eagles forget in this game? Here are a few points:

• They forgot the fact that what will decide this game are eventually the big men... and their performance on both ends of the floor. Frank Golla, JP Erram, Vince Tolentino, and Ivan Enriquez gave up 23 points to the DLSU big men Arnold van Opstal (4), Norbert Torres (6), and most especially Jason Perkins (13), while only scoring 4 points (a basket apiece from Golla and Erram). One could readily forgive those backcourt points scored considering that the offense have been coming from the small forwards forced to play big (Buenafe and Newsome had 8 and 9, respectively); however, too much offensive pressure from the DLSU bigs (together with the non-calls, which will come later) allowed LA Revilla and Teng to slash their way inside (Revilla was 4 of 7 inside and ended up with 11 points). 
• They forgot that they cannot just run fastbreak sets, and half court plays are of utmost necessity against DLSU. Notice that when the Blue Eagles go for a rebound, the Green Archers would rather give it up and run to set their defense. If that is the case, then they should have more half court sets that have Ravena, Buenafe, and Nesome scoring on the inside, while Tiongson or Elorde would be responsible in receiving kickouts. Instead, we got pretty bad perimeter shots from Ravena and Buenafe, more like failed desperation attempts to score. I'm not saying that this has always been the case, because we have seen flashes of brilliance on the offense, lots of it even; however, they could have run different sets with same finishes (obviously, because the Blue Eagles are running Hawks and Horns sets that have the same initial moves) in those last five minutes.
• They forgot that despite not having Ravena, they could have just used Chris Newsome as the primary shot creator. The second round Newsome was far from the 27-point bomb that struck fear in the hearts of Lasallians during the first round. Instead, what we got is still a decent 8-point, 8-rebound forward who settled well with setting up plays for the guards. Had Newsome been activated as the first option in the last few minutes, then I think this game could have been saved.

If the Blue Eagles would want to win the next 3 games, make it into the Final Four, and get four more without losing one in the semifinals, then they have to relish this moment and learn a lot from this loss. It is unfortunate that they do not have big men strong and skillful enough to counter DLSU's (the past two years, we had Slaughter, the year before that Justin Chua, and Rabeh Al-Hussaini as well as Nonoy Baclao for Seasons 71 and 72), but more is expected from their Big Three plus one of Ravena, Newsome, Buenafe, and Tiongson. And the team needs them more than ever if they still consider winning a sixth straight championship a real possibility.

That Bo Perasol Technical. Let's review the sequence that led to that foul called on Coach Bo Perasol:

• Ryan Buenafe drove to the basket and was pushed and elbow on his way. No foul called.
• Jason Perkins scrambles for the rebound and was supposedly fouled as he got the board.
• As the referee whistled, Perkins elbowed someone from behind him.

Whether it's the non-call or the second motion that has been the reason, one can see why Coach Perasol has the right to be furious; however, it just happened that the referees deemed it as crossing the line and therefore the T. Would it be rightfully so? You be the judge, but insofar as these events happened, it might be even more proper to call an additional unsportsmanlike foul on Perkins on that sequence, and then grant the possession to DLSU because of the foul in the rebound.

What It Means to the Final Four campaign. This definitely makes everything more difficult, now that the Blue Eagles slide to 6-5, tied with UST and half a game behind UE (who will play DLSU on the 4 September without Charles Mammie and Ralf Olivares). Given that, these are the things that the Blue Eagles should do:

• First off, they have to eliminate those with whom they are tied up against, namely UST and (possibly) UE (but with a margin greater than or equal to four points). Doing so would secure them the four-spot despite having the same standings at the end of eliminations.
• It would even be helpful if DLSU sweeps the second round, because it would give extra losses to UE, UST, and possibly NU.
• One more imperative: BEAT NU. The Blue Eagles cannot afford another loss (unless UST and UE will be handed other losses). Once this is done, the fourth spot is for the Blue Eagles, and they might face either NU or DLSU.

The Scores:

La Salle 66 - Vosotros 19, Perkins 13, Revilla 11, Teng 8, Torres 6, Van Opstal 4, Montalbo 3, Salem 2, Tapus 0, Reyes 0, Dela Paz 0, Bolick 0

Ateneo 64 - Tiongson 14, Elorde 13, Ravena 12, Buenafe 9, Newsome , Pessumal 4, Golla 2, Erram 2, Tolentino 0, Enriquez 0, Capacio 0


Quarter scoring: 13-16, 31-33, 46-49, 66-64

Credits to the Fabilioh Facebook page for the photo and GMA Online for the box

6 Points: AdMU vs. AdU (Round 1)

Ateneo 71, Adamson 59

-So far in this season, this is the only time wherein, save for the opening canto, everything went well for the new(ly shaven heads of the) Blue Eagles. Despite barely having Kiefer Ravena (who only went in for less than 15 minutes and scored only 4 points), the offense clicked and went smoothly as planned, with everyone finding their spots from the outside and yet managing to bring the ball inside for impressive baskets. The defense has significantly improved, as the Ateneo frontline held up their fort and was able to deny the baskets that mattered for Adamson. If at all, this seems to be a sign for the team being able to indeed play as a team, which resulted in their first and only win after four games.

-Four Blue Eagles scored in double figures, all with notable and significant performances. Juami Tiongson finally completed the Blue Eagles trifecta by scoring from beyond the arc and producing easy fastbreak points. JP Erram showed everybody that his ACL is a thing of the past, as his 10-point barrage in the third quarter kept the Blue Eagles afloat. Chris Newsome has been, well, awesome, in creating scoring opportunities for everyone. And of course, the King Eagle himself Ryan Buenafe has shown that he is an all-around player with a near triple double (11 markers, 12 boards, 9 dishes), which perhaps made things lighter (pun intended) for him when everyone just got it going. Such instance tells a very obvious fact that has been there since the Fil-Oil Preseason Tournament, namely that when the Blue Eagle go berserk on offense, coupled with impressive defensive stretches that even the tallest import could not get his hands on, expect scoring runs to happen more often, and with the way the team finishes this game with a 12-point lead testifies to that. And if this is going to happen for the last ten games of eliminations, expect the Blue Eagles to be back in contention for their sixth straight championship (although this would be too early to conclude).

-Gang rebound, gang rebound, gang rebound. This has been reiterated in the previous three games, and it should have worked against DLSU except that the bigs were in foul trouble and that the team's overall energy dissipated, and this is the only way for the Blue Eagles to go, because of the fact that they have no bigs to counter those of the other UAAP teams. It is interesting to see that the three biggest players on the court gang up on the paint, while the other two wait ten to fifteen feet outside the basket for shots that might go too strong, and it has worked wonders for this game. Buenafe, Newsom, Erram, and Golla got their respective turns to scoop up the ball, while the guards were simply on the watch if ever the ball finds its way outside the paint. And the result? A huge rebounding advantage over the league's best rebounding team, and an 11-0 advantage on fastbreak points.

-Coach Bo Perasol observed that the reason for leads to get dissipated is because the team lacked energy during the latter stages of the game, when it seems that everyone's gas have run out. And responding to that, he made a quick fix: he expanded the rotation. In this game, he fielded 12 players that came in and out every three to four minutes or so, to give them quick breaks and allow time to recover before going in and playing Ateneo's own brand of a running game. With Tiongson and Nico Elorde starting, reserve Ice Lim got a few minutes, and even managed to get a jumper in, while Kiefer Ravena, not yet in perfect form, forced the Adamson defense to collapse on him if ever he gets into a good position to score. Vince Tolentino and Ivan Enriquez also had their fair share of minutes in which they contributed. This let Newsome, Buenafe, and Tiongson to rest and save their energy for the most important moments of the game.

-The horrible dreams that the Blue Eagles had in their last three third quarter nightmares were quickly dissipated when, holding a 4-point lead, they entered the second half. Just when the Falcons are threatening to grab that lead triple after triple, the Blue Eagles had responses of their own. By the end of the third canto, keeping up was just too much for the Falcons, as Erram unloaded tons of inside stabs (a couple off a Von Pessumal assist) to further stretch the lead, not to mention the individual contributions of Newsome and Buenafe in this run. Watch out, for the third quarter might just be once again a turning point for the rest of the games.

-Roider Cabrera and Rodney Brondial's game made them easy favorites and go-to guys for the Falcons. The former indeed has all it takes to be the team, and perhaps the league's, top snipers, being able to hit big threes ever since his first game in the league. The latter, meanwhile, does not only provide the Falcons with points in the paint, but more than that, knows how to slide in and out of the point and score quick stabs. However, like the rest of the Falcons (including their "rising star" Axel Inigo) needs to play more as a team and cease relying on individual efforts and too much isolation plays. If the Falcons are going to be a championship contender, then they have to realize that the offense lies beyond Brondial, Cabrera, and Jericho Cruz.

The Scores:

Ateneo 71 - Tiongson 15, Erram 12, Buenafe 11, Newsome 10, Golla 6, Ravena 4, Capacio 4, Pessumal 3, Tolentino 2, Lim 2, Elorde 2, Enriquez 1

Adamson U, 59 - Cruz 21, Cabrera 14, Brondial 8, Sewa 4, Inigo 3, Agustin 3, Rios 2, Monteclaro 2, Abrigo 2, Trollano 0, Petilos 0, Julkipli 0


Quarter scores: 13-16, 32-28, 57-47, 71-59

Credits to the UAAP Season 76 Facebook page for the pic and GMA Online News for the box.

6 Points: AdMU vs. DLSU (Round 1)

Ateneo 73, De La Salle 82

-The prevailing plotline which lasted for three games and finally driven to the extreme is that what was once hailed as the "third quarter storm" of the Blue Eagles turned into a nightmare in Coach Bo Perasol and a roster that does not have its ace player. In the middle of the third quarter, the Blue Eagles held a 14-point lead against their archrivals, but an adjustment made by DLSU head coach Juno Sauler transformed that into a 3-point deficit heading into the fourth. After that, the Archers never looked back, pinning down any chances of an Ateneo comeback when Luigi de la Paz hit a corner three that gave the first round match to them. If this becomes a trend in the next four games of the Blue Eagles, then it would be hard to at least muster a win in this first round.

-We can see how first year Blue Eagle Chris Newsome can carry the whole Blue Eagles team on the offensive end, as we have seen him make the most ridiculous shots, cuts, slashes, and pops that no Blue Eagle of the past few seasons have ever done. Newsome's presence on the court already is a threat to any opponent, and had it been possible for him to create his shots without the danger of fouling out, it could have been Ateneo's game to take.

-Unfortunately, this game showed how much the Blue Eagles needed a consistent big man who can go wwith the towers of seven other UAAP teams. When everyone has thought that they have found it in JP Erram following the departure of Greg Slaughter, they have seen an offensive powerhouse on his way to recovery, until he fouled out near the end of the third quarter, leaving the Blue Eagles under the undersized bigs Vince Tolentino and Giboy Babilonia who both had difficulty taking care of both ends of the floor. The Green Archers abused this situation and allowed their bigs to score and maul them from the inside, which clearly explains why Arnold Van Opstal, who once was a negligible player when the Blue Eagles play DLSU, came up big. And we see that because the inside D broke down, the fort that was the perimeter has been left open for Almond Vosotros, Thomas Torres, and de la Paz to maximize.

-Hopefully, this will be the only bad game that the Blue Eagles will get from Ryan Buenafe. Sure, the whole La Salle D clamped up on him, which paved the way for Newsome to take over. However, we have known Ryan Buenafe as a nifty passer and a shot creator who can destroy planned defensive schemes and grant easy offense, and he seems to not have shown this in the second half. In the danger of fouling out, Buenafe instead settled for quick jumpers and ill-advised triples, which led to easy transition points for the Green Archers. If at all, what is necessary for Buenafe, especially now that Kiefer Ravena has still not recovered, is to accept his role once again as "that" dangerous first option.

-Coach Perasol, during the postgame interview, spoke of his disbelief over adjustment and instead blames the lack of the collective energy that the team has in explaining the loss. One could immediately conclude that he stands in stark contrast with the Blue Eagles' fivepeat coach, Norman Black, who believes in second half adjustments to turn fortunes around and put the game in his favor. Even if it were such, it would not make sense to immediately conclude that a sixth straight championship is out of reach due to the attitude of the coach towards the game. There could be other factors that come along with it, given that Coach Perasol inherited a roster that just underwent a major overhaul. It would be wise perhaps to suspend such judgment until the end of this "adjustment season."

-Could the Blue Eagles have won with Kiefer Ravena playing? As of the moment, it would be difficult to speculate how the team's efforts in the UAAP would get affected once Ravena, assuming that he is at 100%, checks in as an active player. However, the 16-point lead that the Blue Eagles have during the third quarter, and this time in reference to their Fil-Oil win against the Green Archers more than a month ago, would be very telling. It would be futile to consider what could have happened, but the difference that Ravena makes on the court would assure the Sixth Men that the second round matchup would be very different.

The Scores:

Ateneo 73 - Newsome 27, Tiongson 14, Buenafe 11, Pessumal 10, Erram 6, Elorde 3, Golla 2, Tolentino 0, Capacio 0, Babilonia 0

De La Salle 82: Vosotros 19, Van Opstal 18, Teng 13, Dela Paz 10, Perkins 9, T Torres 8, N Torres 5, Reyes 0, Montalbo 0, Bolick 0


Quarter Scores: 20-14, 40-28, 56-59, 73-82

Credits to the Fabilioh Facebook page for the image and GMA Network Sports for the box.

6 Points: AdMU vs. NU (Round 1)

Ateneo 54, National U 64

-If the bunch of new faces, the coach included, are already matters to be concerned about as five-time champions, then having the Blue Eagles' star player and number one option out of opening day just made things way worse than before. It is true that during the Fil-Oil Preseason Tournament, the Blue Eagles seem to run like a well-oiled machine, coping with Coach Bo Perasol's system and keeping up despite the lack of a legitimate big man (especially now that six of the other seven teams made use of foreign players to take care of the paint). However, the UAAP is different, and with Kiefer Ravena out (but eventually played almost-useless minutes in the first half), the Blue Eagles were forced to make game-time adjustments. And faced against an experienced basketball team that hungrily wants desires revenge, Ateneo ended up relying on their gutsy effort to at least eke out a decent loss after having been left behind as early as the third quarter.

-One glaring fact is that Ateneo missed 52 of their 72 shots in the game, most of them from the outside, not just a clear effect of Ravena's absence, but the dismal shooting effort of the supposed snipers of the team (Tiongson, Pessumal, et al., not to mention that rookies Anton Asistio and Earl Murphy have not played). The team has missed a lot of open three-point shots that, had they made three or four more, could have made this a close game. Except a few mishaps in the paint as well as the failure to give up offensive boards, one could point that the Blue Eagles have played relatively good defense, as they were able to contain NU's perimeter shooters (but unfortunately at the expense of having Jean Mbe torch the team from the inside and Denice Villamor getting good looks from beyond the arc) and gave Rayray Parks a hard time driving down the lane. However, it could have been better had the offense been present.

-During the first quarter, the Blue Eagles just trailed the Bulldogs by 2 points, and by halftime, it blew to 12. Everyone was expecting the famous "third quarter storm" to happen, but unfortunately, it turned to a nightmare as the team experienced everything going really bad: they were missing shots, turned the ball over, and gave space for NU's offense to operate.The lead then went as big as 16 in the third, and even got to 24 in the fourth. It's quite unfortunate that Nico Elorde and Juami Tiongson found their touch beyond the arc at an inopportune time, just when the Bulldogs would almost seal the win. Hopefully, adjustments on offense would come up, whether Ravena would be there or not. The middle quarters was Ateneo's fort to hold during the past two seasons, and it should remain to be despite these changes.

-No doubt, Chris Newsome and Ryan Buenafe were the keys to Ateneo's offense in this game. The former has already shown what he can do: shoot from the outside, sink those perimeter baskets, and own opponents during isolation sets (that dunk Rayray Parks, had it gotten in, could have been poster material); however, it seems that he has not gotten inside the basket too frequently during the second and third quarters, saving those dribble-drives unfortunately in the almost-garbage fourth quarter. Ryan Buenafe, on the other hand, resorted instead to chucking bad threes, perhaps finding it difficult to do his usual drive-and-dish stuff. However, it is clear that alongside Ravena, they will be the Blue Eagles' penetration players, with JP Erram and Frank Golla doing the screens and managing the post. While for the rest, hopefully they can create shots and make themselves available for short stabs and perimeter jumpers to add additional spark. After all, they were able to do it during the Fil-Oil tournament.

-If there's something that can be said about the NU Bulldogs in their first game, it's the fact that they looked to be a dominant bunch. Parks has been in his usual self, while Mbe already had the confidence to man the paint given that no one except Golla or Erram could contain him. The confidence in offense that both of these  directly contributed to the extra effort that their teammates have exerted, among them Villamor and Gelo Alolino. That precisely is the reason why they left Ateneo behind as early as third quarter, and with the Blue Eagles finding a way to a probable upset, Parks hit a three to silence the Sixth Men, which is perhaps a statement that the league will soon be their own.

-With the FEU Tamaraws waiting for the next game, the Blue Eagles have a day or two to do serious adjustments and let Ravena recover. A lot of glaring mishaps and rooms for improvement have already been brought out in the first game, and it would be interesting to see how Coach Perasol would respond to these.

The Scores:

NU 64 - Parks 22, Mbe 14, Villamor 13, Javillonar  5, Alolino 4, Rosario 2, Khobuntin 2, Alejandro 2, Rono 0, De Guzman 0

Ateneo 54 - Tiongson 13, Elorde 10, Buenafe 10, Newsome 9, Erram 4, Ravena 2, Pessumal 2, Golla 2, Capacio 2, Tolentino 0, Babilonia 0


Quarter scores: 15-10, 33-21, 48-32, 64-54

Credits to the Fil-Oil Flying V Facebook Page for the pic, GMA Sports for the box.

6 Points: AdMU vs. AdU (Round 2)

Ateneo 79, Adamson U 72

-Since 2008, the Blue Eagles have always won after a game in which they would lose, usually coming out big and showing that they are still the most dominant team in the UAAP. In Ateneo's twelfth game of the elimination, the Adamson Soaring Falcons seem to break the four-peat champions' record, using all means to separate themselves and consequently deal another second-round loss to the Blue Eagles. However, late baskets coming from the Blue Eagles in the closing minutes of the game enabled them to separate themselves from the feisty  Falcons and secured their 10th win of the season and 11th straight Final Four appearance since 2002.

-The Soaring Falcons' early lead, which they sustained most of the game came mainly from Eric Camson who shot the ball like frenzy both from the inside and the outside. However, in the dying minutes of the game, it was Nico Salva's turn to hit those big shots that gave the Blue Eagles the lead until the final buzzer. After struggling for much of the second round, Salva shot his way to 24 big points, with most coming from the long-two area where he is at home. If the former SBC Red Cub, now in his last year as a Blue Eagle, continues this splendid performance on both ends until the Final Four, he might just grab his second Finals MVP plum.

-Nico Elorde finally emerged out of the shadows of beneficial intangibles and made himself visible in the stat sheet. Elorde, who snapped his arrows for a pair of wings, became the fourth Blue Eagle to score in double digits off a few short stabs and long jumpers, proving to be an effective replacement to Juami Tiongson, who at that time was struggling on the defensive end which greatly affected his offense. With Elorde around, it seems that the future of the Blue and White at the one spot would be safe, as his toughness and ability to get past defenders (which brings him close to being an Emman Monfort) would be the greatest asset of the Blue Eagles in the near future, insofar as the backcourt department is concerned.

-What everyone witnessed in this game is not so much about the skills and talents of the players involved, but more importantly, the coaching war that occurred. Adamson's Coach Leo Austria knows Coach Norman Black and his Ateneo team very well, and he has every weapon for everything that the Blue and White throws at him. He came up with a quick lineup to provide double, triple teams to Slaughter in the low post, devised a way of clogging up the lanes which lessened the chances of Kiefer Ravena and Ryan Buenafe to drive in the lane, and when it's the Blue Eagles' turn to clog Adamson's lanes, he brought out the snipers and hit big threes to keep themselves afloat. However, the closing minutes of the game belonged to Coach Norman Black, as he tightened the clamps on defense, put more pressure on the red-hot Camson while letting guards run past picks and keep their men intact, and let his own players create their own offense.

-Eric Camson definitely had the license to shoot, finishing with 26 points thanks to six big triples that kept the Soaring Falcons afloat most of the game.  However, his struggles to get past the defense of the Blue Eagles just to score cost him in the final minutes, as fatigue crept up on him and hindered him from scoring big in the final stretch. Worse, other Falcons who were supposed to play second fiddle to him and back him up were seemingly missing. Roider Cabrera hit his threes early, but he cannot find his own position in the final minutes of the game. Rookie Jericho Cruz seemingly lost his ability to finish inside the basket, and Jansen Rios and Ryan Monteclaro failed to put the clamps down on Ravena as soon as he was barraging his way inside for quick layups.

-This win earned the Blue Eagles their Final Four spot for this season, their 11th straight since winning the championship in 2002, the most recent Ateneo championship before the historic 4-peat. They will be facing the streaking National U Bulldogs next. However, they will have to face their remaining UAAP games without the services of their backup center JP Erram, who tore his ACL after going for a rebound late in the third quarter. Erram will be out for the rest of the season for therapy, leaving Justin Chua and Frank Golla to man the four and five spots for the reserve unit.

The Scores:


Ateneo 79 – Salva 24, Slaughter 16, Ravena 15, Elorde 10, Chua 6, Tiongson 3, Buenafe 3, Sumalinog 1, Erram 1, Gonzaga 0, Golla 0

Adamson 72 – Camson 26, Cruz 14, Cabrera 10, Brondial 8, Monteclaro 8, Rios 4, Etrone 2, Trollano 0, Petilos 0, Agustin 0

Quarter scoring: 21-25, 38-38, 55-59, 79-72

6 Points: AdMU vs. FEU

Ateneo 74, Far Eastern U 71

-During last season's second round eliminations against FEU, Ateneo found itself trailing by more than 16 points by the halftime buzzer, only to come back in the second half by forcing overtime and taking over from there. In this year's first round match against the Blue Eagles' Finals opponents for two straight years, they found themselves in that same double-digit hole; however, they need not force another period as they took care of things within regulation time, overcoming a 10-point first half deficit to seal the victory.

-The last time we saw Ryan Buenafe against FEU was in the Finals of Season 73, when he hit a big 3-pointer to seal the victory for the Blue Eagles. Returning from a season-length hiatus, Buenafe remained to be a threat to the Tamaraws, as he made various crucial plays that let Ateneo crawl back and take the game in the last five minutes of play, which includes his classic drive-and-pass play for Greg Slaughter and and-ones over two or three FEU defenders as he gets inside the paint. So far, this has been Buenafe's best game, and as one who will take over after Season 75, the new coach might want to maximize his talents, especially in playmaking and scoring during crucial stretches.

-Playing the four position, Nico Salva had difficulty on both sides, and he was not able to get over that slump until the fourth quarter, where he made that basket which gave the Blue Eagles the lead. However, in one's seeming absence, another one stood out and made a big contribution. Being a quick and athletic big man, JP Erram gave the burly bigs of FEU problems when it comes to hauling rebounds after misses. When Slaughter fails to make it inside, Erram will be jumping out of nowhere to grab that second chance opportunity. When Slaughter is double or triple teamed, Erram will come out of nowhere and into the paint, receive the pass, and make the easy basket. It really is baffling that since Season 73, the Tamaraws have not yet found a way to stop Erram when he plays alongside dominant bigs.

-The Blue Eagles are not known for shooting threes, and would only take them when there are no options available. Fortunately, key triples were made in that third quarter run, thanks mostly to Juami Tiongson (who had two straight from the same spot) and Nico Elorde (who in one play made himself available to shoot a three after a play executed by Buenafe). This game showed that Ateneo's point guards can also be relied on to score big baskets and not just make big plays. If Tiongson and Elorde develop to become reliant offensive options before the Final Four (at the same time, improve on their quickness and perimeter defense), then it would seem like Emman Monfort had not left the team at all.

-One can easily notice the Blue Eagles' fourth quarter strategy in a close game. In the crucial minutes, slashers would pound it inside and force fouls in order to bring the opposing team to the penalty, with Ravena and Buenafe leading the charge. The defense, on the other hand, will tighten in the paint, but the guards will keep coming at the perimeter players. This strategy has worked so far, and there seemed to be no way of winning against Ateneo if each Blue Eagle is at his best in clutch situations.

-With the way FEU was playing before they faced Ateneo, one might wonder how it happened that they were not able to capitalize on their early lead against the Blue Eagles and snag the win. RR Garcia proved to be a threat to the Blue Eagles' run for their fifth straight championship, as he went by all his defenders to score a three or a layup under the basket. Anthony Hargrove and the Bringas brothers tried to shut Slaughter down, only to be overpowered by a lanky Erram. However, Terrence Romeo somehow failed to live up to the expectations, as he went out hot only to falter in the dying minutes of the game, mostly due to simple, unforced mistakes. Nevertheless, it would be interesting how the Tamaraws would adjust, given that they have at least one more game to play against the Blue Eagles. Will they be again the legitimate rivals to the Blue Eagles for the third straight season, given that UST and DLSU have largely improved and have the right weapons against both the Blue Eagles and the Tamaraws?

The Scores:

Ateneo 74 – Slaughter 17, Tiongson 12, Ravena 12, Buenafe 10, Salva 6, Erram 6, Sumalinog 3, Chua 2, Gonzaga 0, Golla 0

FEU 71 – Garcia 21, Hargrove 12, Romeo 10, A. Bringas 10, M. Bringas 7, Belo 6, Pogoy 3, Sentcheu 0, Cruz 0, Mendoza 0

Quarter Scoring: 18-21, 27-37, 49-53, 74-71

Credits to GMA News Online for the box, Fabilioh for the image.

Elevation: AdMU vs. FEU Finals Game 1 (UAAP S74 Final Four Special Recap)

Ateneo 82, Far Eastern U 64
Blue Eagles lead series 1-0

Maybe it's part of the Philippine society, as a third world country that has gone through a variety of ups and downs throughout history, to be hardwired to love underdog stories. Filipinos always have a growing fascination and following to those who started out as someone in the middle, struggling to get pieces together and solving tensions within, and then come out victorious after slaying a behemoth of an opponent.

Recently, a lot have already sided to those who, at face value, were not meant to be on the winning side, but beat all odds to come out on top, and this applies as well in basketball. The Dallas Mavericks, armed with aging stars who has to make this one last push, became easy favorites when against a Miami Heat composed of Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, all superstars in their own right. In the PBA, fans were on the Petron side of the Smart Araneta Coliseum, because many believed that it is nigh time for a star-laden Talk 'N Text team to end the streak and pass the trophy on to someone who wants it more than they do.

Last season, the Blue Eagles were in the same position, although because of their back-to-back championships, some UAAP fans wanted the FEU Tamaraws to win, just for a change. Having no definite superstar to save them from close games, bearing a 10-4 record, and having lost to the FEU Tamaraws twice in the eliminations, the Blue Eagles had their backs on the wall, with only the drive for a three-peat to give get past through possibly three Finals games. The Tamaraws, then, had all that they needed to dispatch the Blue Eagles and end their title run.

But the unexpected happened, the first game was a surprise, as Ateneo played superb defense and made use of all their fastbreak opportunities to put away the Tamaraws and gain the upper hand in the Finals series, with a 72-49 game 1 score card.

Of course, the Blue Eagles went on to win their third straight title through a game-saving three by Ryan Buenafe in a gut-wrenching 65-61 win during the second game. While this is fresh for the Blue Eagles and the fans, this is a finished chapter for the Tamaraws. Now that they are in an underdog position in the Finals, having beaten the Soaring Falcons, the only team that perhaps could give a scare to the Blue Eagles, they are out to exact revenge on the team that deprived them of what they think they deserve, considering that they were at their best last year. Many believed that with their superb play during the semis, they could topple the powerful Blue Eagles who dominated all through out the entire season, only to come out short in their last game and was saved by the buzzer during their semis match against the UST Tigers.

However, things seemed to be out of sync for the Tamaraws early in the first half of the Game 1. After an initial 6-0 Blue Eagle run, Coach Bert Flores called timeout to cool things down, and fortunately , it worked for them for they were in control for the rest of the first quarter, leading by five by the end of it.

The Tamaraws even ballooned the lead to ten during the second quarter. The Blue Eagles, on the other hand, did not want this crucial game to be like their second round encounter against the Tamaraws, so they stepped on the gas pedal right away. They staged a huge 15-5 run led by Kiefer Ravena, as they tied the game during halftime at 33 apiece. Perhaps what could have turned the tide in favor of the Blue Eagles was the insertion of JP Erram, who provided a boost on defense when Greg Slaughter and Justin Chua were sitting on the bench. The second year Forward-Center was able to contribute well on defense, and he even scored a few charity buckets to get things going for the Blue Eagles.

Fans from both sides were excited by the fact that this could be another gut-wrenching game where both teams have to play cat-and-mouse until the final minute. However, they forgot that it was at the second half were the Blue Eagles bring out their best and maul down their opponents, and as the buzzer signaled to start the third quarter, the Blue Eagles were more than determined to end this game as early as possible.

And what happened afterwards was a repeat of last season's Game 1. The Blue Eagles again found opportunities to score off turnovers and grab crucial defensive rebounds. After three-fourths of the game was finished, the Tamaraws found themselves trailing by 11 at the start of the third. The Blue Eagles did not let their guard down in the final canto, as they continued to slaughter (no pun intended) the Tamaraws, who have lost their composure and decided to chuck in low-percentage shots and just hand the ball (and the game) over to the Blue Eagles. With a few more buckets here and there, including dunks made by Greg Slaughter and "Mr. Perfect" Nico Salva, who had a perfect field goal and free throw shooting performance during that day, the Blue Eagles destroyed the Tamaraws' hope for an early advantage with an 18-point victory, 82-64.

After the game, there was nothing much to say at the side of the Green and Gold. Even Coach Bert Flores was highly amazed at the near-perfect (because the Blue eagles can do better than that) game that Ateneo had in the second half. But this would not faze the hopes of the Tamaraws. For the third time this season, they promised a better game, and hopefully that will happen for them.

The Scores:

Ateneo 82 – Salva 24, Ravena 17, Slaughter 12, Monfort 11, Long 8, Erram 4, Tiongson 4, Chua 2, Gonzaga 0, Golla 0, Austria 0

FEU 64 – Romeo 23, Escoto 12, Ramos 9, Garcia 6, Exciminiano 6, Tolomia 5, Pogoy 2, Cruz 1, Sentcheu 0, Bringas 0

Quarter scoring: 14-19, 33-33, 60-49, 82-64

Credits to Inboundpass for the box and Fabilioh for the pic.

6 Points: AdMU vs. UST (Fil-Oil Flying V Pre-Season Tournament)

Ateneo 59, UST 46

-Coming off a win against the Lyceum of the Philippines University, it was a relatively good game for the Blue Eagles as they tried to pounce early and get that huge lead. Their offense seemed to have a better flow now, after three games. One good observation is the fact that each guy on the floor knows that each one is a potent offensive threat, and it's just about letting each one find their spots and score easily.

-On the other hand, the fact that each one is an option can be somewhat a problem if the Blue Eagles do not execute plays that allow their men to go to their spots. As a result, there were turnovers and some ill-advised shots taken. Perhaps the plays just need more polishing in terms of execution, as well as deciding how to go through with it especially when the defense adjusts.

-Slaughter has been all over Karrim Abdul in the course of the game. The Smart Gilas rookie forced UST African to shoot from the outside, stopping him from attacking the inside. Despite not hitting much, Slaughter was able to score six markers, four of which were from the charity stripe. But more important than that was his 13 rebounds that had the Blue Eagle guards immediately running to score out of a break.

-UST is still a threat from beyond the arc, and with Clark Bautista in the zone during the first half, things got a little more challenging than expected. He staged his own 8-0 run with a couple of treys and a wing jumper, leaving his man behind as he stops and jumps quickly. Same goes for Jeric Fortuna who had notable markers of his own to bring the game closer.

-The pre-season games became an instant opportunity from the little voices of Ateneo to step up and show that they can face real opponents. Tonino Gonzaga hit a couple of threes and three field goals to score ten, and Juami Tiongson made full use of the picks given to him to score seven. The biggest of all was JP Erram's two big blocks, plus a jam after faking Abdul and finding that the lane is all for him. Hopefully in the UAAP, despite playing limited minutes, these guys can really step up and become a threat to opponents

-At the end of the day, it has been the defense that made the difference. Ateneo was able to execute their usual defensive plays against UST, preventing good looks for their guards. On the inside, they were able to fill in the paint and prevent Chris Camus and Abdul to score off layups. Also, Kiefer Ravena did a good job defending Kevin Ferrer, especially in terms of ball movement. Plus, the bigs had their own share of fly-swatting, preventing anyone inside the paint to easily score. Despite a mediocre 38 % from the field, their trademark defense got them the big lead and thus the game.

Scores:

Ateneo 59 – Long 10, Ravena 10, Gonzaga 10, Tiongson 7, Chua 6, Salva 6, Slaughter 6, Erram 4, Monfort 0, Golla 0, Austria 0, Sumalinog 0, Pessumal 0, Capacio 0

UST 46 – Bautista 14, Fortuna 10, Abdul 8, Ferrer 6, Teng 4, Camus 4, Afuang 0, Tan 0, Pe 0, Sheriff 0, Lo 0

Quarter scoring: 14-12, 29-27, 46-31, 59-46

Photo from GMANews.tv and box score courtesy of Inboundpass.com