Blue Eagles: Momentum Shift
THE BLUE Eagles finish the first round with a 5-2 record, good for a second place tie with Adamson, and trailing only behind the unbeaten FEU.
Facing a gauntlet of FEU, AdU and DLSU in three of the first four games, the Blue Eagles’ offense found itself stalling, managing a mediocre 66.5 point average. But with a mandate to push the ball, the Blue Eagle front line found a groove that resulted in a three game winning streak, with emphatic victories over NU and UP.
Led by the resurgence of Eric Salamat, averaging 18.3 points over the last three outings, the team averaged 80 points a game.
The recent offensive outburst is no surprise to Ateneo Head Coach Norman Black, who installed a new offensive system predicated on fast break plays. “That was the game plan. It has been all along. We want to lead the league in fast break points,” the coach said.
The Ateneo defense, a cornerstone of their back-to-back championships, has continued to be effective, forcing opponents to a league-low 33.8 % field goal percentage and 64.4 points per game.
Ateneo’s core of veterans, Salamat, Nico Salva and Kirk Long, has led the team. While Salamat’s offense has only recently come alive, his defensive game has carried over from last year, averaging a UAAP-leading 2.3 steals a game.
Salva, the team’s most consistent offensive contributor, averaged a team high 12.6 points a game—seventh best in the league—while also leading the team in rebounding at 6.0 a game.
And while his numbers may not be outstanding, it is Long’s blue collar approach has given consistency to the team. Long who has contributed across the board with 9.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals a game,even doubles as Ateneo’s most consistent three point threat, at 40.0% on the season.
Season 73 has also seen the emergence of Justin Chua. He exploded against UST, scoring a career high 17 points. Since then, Chua has been a productive member of the rotation averaging 9.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and a team high 1.8 blocks a game—second in the league.
Coach Norman Black keeps the team’s performance in perspective, “We’d like to have a better record but we’re in the top four and that’s the important thing. From my experience it’s hard to win a championship when you’re not in the top four.”
While the coach may have made the comment a bit tongue-in-cheek, it is important to keep the end goal of a championship in mind. Despite early losses, the high flying Eagles are running through the competition and look to carry the momentum through to the championship round.
Lady Eagles, where they need to run
ON PAPER, the Lady Eagles don’t look like they are headed to the Final Four. At 3-4, with wins over UE, NU, and UP, the Lady Eagles got torched by FEU, lost by 39 points to powerhouse Adamson, and failed to close out an electrifying game against La Salle.
Blame it on their lack of size, or their inconsistent perimeter shooting, but don’t write them off just yet. These ladies have the potential to spark a Final Four run.
“So far, we haven’t had a game wherein we weren’t all out from the get go,” Valerie Chua said.
The Lady Eagles have quality players in Chua, Javier, and Denise Tiu. While they are diamonds in the rough, they have the finesse that allows them to function in a running team. Chua is a point-forward who can effectively dribble past halfcourt, which almost always confuses the opposing team’s presses. Tiu, although turnover prone, is a heady big who can take the ball to the hoop. Javier needs no hops to grab a rebound, but mightily struggles with her handles. “It’s definitely always a challenge when we go against bigger and stronger post players,” Javier said.
With coaches opting to use the full court press, turnovers are an issue women’s games seem to be plagued with. The Ateneo backcourt struggled when FEU and Adamson hounded their offensive sets, but later in the season, particularly against UST and La Salle, the Lady Eagles showed the propensity to dribble their way to an effective attack—their sets usually ending in Sarah Mercado’s hands, capitalizing on her exceptional footwork and craftiness to get to the hole.
Outside of Mercado, however, the Lady Eagles struggle offensively. Super-senior Mariana Lopa is inconsistent with her threes, Tiu can’t find a way to bank her lay-ups, Chua hits more jumpers than inside shots, and the rest of the team is a coin toss with regards to offense.
Run. These Lady Eagles look built for a run-and-gun system that can break other team’s defenses easily.
Mercado always looks willing to spearhead a fast break. Once she started posting double digits in the first half of the first round, teams double-teamed her, acknowledging that the Ateneo offense revs and rests with her.
If Coach Cris Quimpo can run effective isolation plays for Mercado, Ateneo can find its way to easy scores. If Coach can put the right mix of guards who can run and shoot, the Lady Eagles can look deadly, while covering their frontcourt’s apparent weaknesses.
Fingers crossed, they’ll shoot and drive daggers into their opponent’s hearts come the second round.
Editor’s note: For game recaps, visit www.theguidon.com.
