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. 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.

6 Points: AdMU vs. UP

Ateneo 76, State U 70

-In the Blue Eagles' past games, they have started strong early on and built huge leads that secured them the victories, but can they still get the W even if they play catch-up against their opponents? The Fighting Maroons started out hot and took advantage of a disoriented Ateneo team, but the Blue Eagles woke up just in time to remind UP that they are still a team to beat, and that the day will not end with a repeat of 2009.

-The third quarter storm returned in Araneta after its disappearance in the fight against the Growling Tigers, and it completely turned the tables in favor of Ateneo. Down 8 points entering the third quarter with the Fighting Maroons threatening to seemingly blow this game wide open, a magnificent run has been set up again by the Blue Eagles, pounding in 29 big points while allowing a measly 17 markers (which was even 2 points more than the "Norman Black standard" of 15 points a quarter) against a Fighting Maroons squad who scored a game-high 40 in the first half. Nico Salva and Kiefer Ravena led the Blue Eagle's climb out of the shallow pit, slashing their way into the basket, fishing fouls, and finishing strong just to get ahead of the Fighting Maroons. As a result, the quarter ended with 61-57 in the Blue Eagles' favor after trailing as much as 10 points at the start of the second half, and they never looked back. Should we blame the shot clocks' return after their disappearance due to malfunction?

-The Fighting Maroons should be credited with coming up with a good strategy to defend Slaughter, primarily using Raul Soyud and a bunch of double teams to stand in his way toward the paint, and one can even say that they did a better job than the Green Archers, insofar as this particular game is concerned. However, the Blue Eagles were able to adjust in the second half, not only penetrating through the Fighting Maroons' weak spots, but also giving Slaughter more space to operate inside.

-The absence of Juami Tiongson due to a minor injury made it difficult for the Blue Eagles to gain momentum, but fortunately, transferee Nico Elorde was up to the challenge of playing as starting point. The former Green Archer tallied only 2 points, 4 dimes, and a rebound, but he played great second half defense against former U-18 playmaker Henri Asilum. Perhaps a little more polishing and someday, Elorde will be at the ranks of Ateneo's top perimeter defenders, something which, unfortunately, La Salle was not able to bank on and hope for.

-The whole Fighting Maroons team have been exceptional, and this is the first time that they have shown the UAAP how strong they can be. Alvin Padilla and Marc Lopez were fearless in getting past their defenders. Soyud was just solid against Slaughter, and Chris Ball showed that he is potentially a threat to the opponents' defense. However, the largest question mark has been Mike Silungan, who was expected to be the Fighting Maroons' top gunner for this season. He came out of the bench to give him a breather and ease the pressure off him, and still he was swallowed by the tendency to save his team by chucking jumpers here and there in the final minutes. In the end, he only scored 2 points, his lone basket as that which he received from a lob. If there is something urgent that the Fighting Maroons' coaching staff has to address, then it has to be Silungan's way of playing the game and how he can be molded to adjust Coach Ricky Dandan's system.

-This is the first ugly win that the Blue Eagles have received, which brings them to a lot of important things that they have to learn, especially that with the UE Red Warriors being the next opponent, they might have this tendency to be complacent. On the other hand, the Fighting Maroons have shown that they can be resilient potential contenders, having lost only by single digits in all save one of its games. And for both teams, adjustments are crucial. The Blue Eagles need to adjust and keep their game up, now that it has been explicitly made known to them that they have bigger targets on their backs. For the Fighting Maroons, however, they have to establish themselves as valuable targets.

The Scores:

Ateneo 76 – Salva 21, Slaughter 13, Ravena 11, Sumalinog 10, Chua 7, Gonzaga 5, Buenafe 5, Erram 2, Elorde 2, Pessumal 0, Capacio 0

UP 70– Lopez 13, Ball 11, Padilla 11, Gamboa 10, Soyud 9, Montecastro 6, Asilum 6, Silungan 2, Romero 2, Mbah 0, Manuel 0, Hipolito 0, Gallarza 0

Quarter scoring: 17-19, 32-40, 61-57, 76-70

Credits to Rappler for the box and the Guidon for the pic.

6 Points: AdMU vs. AdU

Ateneo 72, Adamson 57

-Is there anything more consoling for a championship team than to beat down one of their strongest opponents last season? Of course there are, but the Blue Eagles must have been happy to see that they have retained their status as the team to beat in Season 75. In last year's opening game, the Adamson Soaring Falcons have almost defeated them with a 55-51 score, but with the departure of their top two playmakers/scorers in Lester Alvarez and Jerick Canada, the Falcons have almost lost their firepower. The Blue Eagles took advantage of the Soaring Falcons' lack of depth, as they cruised their way into the second half after struggling both offensively and defensively in the first. One could perhaps count this as one of the Blue Eagles' best starts in the previous years, considering that Coach Norman Black usually sets the first game as his own opportunity to experiment with lineups and combinations.

-As usual, the Blue Eagles Big Three have led the charge in this game. Greg Slaughter came up with his usual double double output, with Nico Salva helping him on offense. Kiefer Ravena's second opening game in his UAAP career had not been in vain, as he finished with nine markers. However, one can see Ravena struggling to score, something that got carried over from this summer's Fil-Oil preseason tournament. Is it a matter of losing his touch, a kind of sophomore slump? Or just bad shots, and therefore the need to slash more to score more? Or adjusting to his role as an assistant playmaker to Juami Tiongson of some sorts? Whatever the reason is, one thing is clear: Ravena should get his scoring spunk in the game in order for the Blue Eagles to become dominant over stronger teams this season, especially when it comes to situations when the team could only rely on him. (here's a hint: who's closing the close games?)

-Compared to last season's opening games, this year's bench is more productive and is packed with firepower. The second and third squad led by the returning crowd favorite Ryan Buenafe helped a lot in widening the gap in the second half. More than his 5-point output, Buenafe has always been credited with playing point-forward and creating avenues for teammates to score, and as such, he has helped JP Erram and Justin Chua find their own spots early and provide their finishing touches. Nico Elorde has once again shown glimpses of smart basketball, proving to the blue crowd (and some of those in green) that he had indeed made the right decision to transfer from De La Salle.

-If one of the Blue Eagles has to be named as this game's X-factor, it has to be Tiongson, who unexpectedly showed playmaking brilliance in the game. Known as someone who sets plays in order to create shots for himself, he seems to have embraced his role as a point guard and perimeter defender, taking the responsibility of feeding to his teammates for easy scores and religiously blocking off passing lanes for the Adamson guards. It has paid off statistically though, as he got 5 points with 5 boards and 7 assists. Blue Eagle fans could only hope that he keeps up with that ind of performance, eventually serving as replacement for the now-graduated Emman Monfort.

-Despite losing key people, the Soaring Falcons still ha something to throw at the Blue Eagles. Their own trifecta of Alex Nuyles, Eric Camson, and Rodney Brondial provided a spark that lasted only until the beginning of the second half. It was a splendid performance for Alex Nuyles, who, knowing that he would be hounded consistently by defenders, decided to make the extra pass as he drives to the bucket, which led to 10 of 13 points that Brondial had. Eric Camson still had his inside-outside with him, as he breezes through Ateneo's slower defenders and positioned himself to make his 10-15 footers. Had Adamson gotten hold of playmakers that could replace Canada and Alvarez, they could become a powerhouse once again, as some of them, like Jericho Cruz and Allan Etrone, still have room for improvement.

-Based on the second half performance, one can conclude that the Blue Eagles are too much for the dilapidated Soaring Falcons, who still have to find their own rhythm especially when going against dominant teams. On the other hand, the Blue Eagles now have to take the game more sriously, as they set out to face the UST Growling Tigers who almost notched a win against Season 74 second-placers the FEU Tamaraws. Perhaps it will only be in the second game where we can see the stuff that the Blue Eagles are made off, the very conditions of possibility of getting that coveted fifth championship that has not been achieved by previous fourpeat teams (and were you reminded that the Blue Eagles were the ones who broke La Salle's streak way back in '02?).

The Scores:

Ateneo 73 – Slaughter 17, Salva 14, Ravena 9, Sumalinog 6, Buenafe 6, TIongson 5, Erram 5, Chua 4, Gonzaga 3, Golla 2, Elorde 2, Porter 0, Pessumal 0, Lim 0, Capacio 0.

Adamson 57 – Brondial 13, Nuyles 12, Camson 10, Cabrera 10, Cruz 4, Monteclaro 3, Trollano 2, Etrone 2, Cabigas 1, Julkipli 0, Agustin 0, Abrigo 0.

Quarter Scoring: 15-16, 32-28, 55-45, 73-57

Credits to Fabilioh.com for the pic.

6 Points: AdMU vs. CSJL (Fil-Oil Flying V Preseason Tournament)

Ateneo 55, Letran 51

-It's always the case that the first game of the school year will be "forgivable," and it includes this year's first preseason game. Despite a sputtering offense from almost everyone in the roster, the Blue Eagles played stellar defense in the closing minutes to snag a win against a depleted but energized Knights. It was more of a game where everyone in the roster, especially the new ones, were given the chance to experience how it feels to slug it out in the big leagues, but more importantly, it was more of an opportunity to try out this new team that's going to play for a fifth straight championship.

-As with last year, Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter led the Blue Eagles to victory, accounting for a combined 27 points, which comprises half of Ateneo's total score. But then, Slaughter's 14 points need 12 shots to achieve, while Ravena needed 10. It seems that from these two, one can already judge that the team needs to polish their offense and defense as the Fil-Oil games come.

-Much to the excitement of every Blue Eagle fan in the Arena, former Rookie of the Year Ryan Buenafe has finally entered the court after a year-long hiatus which he needed to clear his academic records. But the Buenafe who brought Ateneo its third straight UAAP plum last 2009 is still to come in the next few games. In this one, he acted as a playmaker, drawing defenders in order for the other Blue Eagles to find their sweet spots. This resulted to 3 assists and various fancy passes that wowed the blue crowd in Buenafe's 15 minutes of play.

-It is also nice to see, in the middle of a bad game, the soon-to-be Blue Eagle newbies showing flashes of brilliance. Nico Elorde, in front of some basketball enthusiasts in green, has shown how he can contribute when given the chance. He continually hounded the Letran guards, consistently blocking their passing and driving lanes once he steps into the court. The Ateneo crowd still has to see an offensive explosion from him, and it might happen early in the pre-season tournament as he is expected to play longer as the Blue Eagle's steady number one. On the other hand, former Blue Eaglet Kris Porter showed that he could be a legit big man in the way he manned the post in his short stint in the game. With guys like this, it seems that Ateneo is headed for a still brighter future, considering that a large chunk of the roster will leave after Season 75 due to graduation.

-The Letran Knights did not have Raymond Almazan in last Saturday's linep, and swingman Kevin Alas played only during the opening and closing minutes of the game because of injury. But despite the absence of the Knights' offensive foundation, the rest of the team stepped up and made life difficult for the Blue Eagles. Mark Cruz, the younger brother of former UP Maroon Marvin Cruz, used his athleticism to get past the Blue Eagles' guards and distract the zone defense to give way for easy inside baskets by Junjun Alas and Jam Cortes, who led the Knights in scoring. Kevin Racal and Carlo Lituania scored key baskets late in the fourth period, including the latter's shot beyond the arc that tied the game, only to be countered by a Ravena three. The only thing that's bothering about Letran is that their offensive weapons looked hesitant to shoot or drive once a Blue Eagle runs to them, a mistake which can easily be corrected in their Fil-Oil stint. If Letran plays this well against other teams, then they could promise a return in the Final Four of NCAA's Season 88.

-The game could have been easily won early in the second half, when the Blue Eagles has a strong grip of an 11-point lead; however, certain lapses in the defense, coupled with bad shooting, paved the way for Letran to stage a comeback that could have been successful if not for Jonathan Belorio's missed lay-up in the closing minutes of the fourth period. What the Blue Eagles need to work on in the periphery is the way they sustain leads, and this has something to do with the rotation. Perhaps in the next Fil-Oil games, we will see how Assistant Coach Sandy Arespacochaga will create synergy for the second and third units (interesting question: will Von Pessumal and Gwynne Capacio find their place?)

The Scores:

Ateneo 55 - Slaughter 14, Ravena 13, Gonzaga 7, Tiongson 4, Chua 4, Elorde 2, Erram 2, Salva 2, Capcio 2, Porter 2, Golla 1, Sumalinog 1, Buenafe 1, Pessumal 0, Babilonia 0

Letran 51 - Cortes 14, Racal 10, Cruz 10, Lituania 8, Gabriel 6, Gabawan 2, Belorio 0, Alas J. 0, Pantin 0, Luib 0, Alas K. 0, Cudal 0

Quarter Scoring: 16-12, 31-21, 45-42, 55-51

Credits to the Fil-Oil Flying V Facebook page for the photo.

Ready To Fly?

This was taken during the Team Glory Be's battle against the UE Red Warriors' Team B in the Fr. Martin Cup.

Good for you to have your bow and arrow replaced with wings.

Geared up to take the Pocket Rocket's place in the team next season?

Credits to Fr. Nemesio Que, SJ for the photo.