RIDING THE hot shooting of MVP candidate Kirk Long, the Ateneo Blue Eagles put the Green Archers away early, throttling their rivals, 74-57 on August 22 at the Araneta Coliseum. The 20 point deficit entering the fourth quarter proved to be too, denying the Green Archers the opportunity to recapture the late game heroics that saw them steal the first game in the season series.
The game saw the Green Archers quickly seize the momentum as Joseph Tolentio’s three pointer at the 5:27 mark gave a 9-4 lead, forcing Coach Norman Black to burn an early timeout. Instructions to push the ball paid immediate dividends as Ateneo took advantage of superior ball movement and a stifling defense, closing the quarter on a 15-2 run, highlighted by a trifecta of triples by Long.
For the third consecutive game, the Blue Eagle bench took apart the opposing reserves with the Green Archers suffering a near five minute scoreless drought, before Andrata’s field goal snapped a 12-0 run. La Salle’s impotence from distance allowed the Ateneo big men to pack the paint, resulting in long rebounds which in-turn fed the Blue Eagle transition game. Samuel Marata’s pair of free throws in the closing seconds of the half denied Ateneo the luxury of doubling up, as La Salle limped into the break, down, 39-21.
Led by Mark Mendoza’s 6-point quarter, La Salle’s offense finally hit its stride in the third. But their inability to slow the Blue Eagles’ attack saw themselves slip further behind entering the fourth down 21 points.
Comfortably ahead, the Blue Eagles cruised the last 10 minutes, affording time to utilize deep rotation players like JP Erram and Jason Escueta. The officiating crew received heavy heckling from the Ateneo crowd as a series of dubious calls saw the disqualification of Frank Golla and sent Mendoza to the line for eight free throws enabling the Green Archers to chip away at the final deficit.
Commenting on their performance, Ateneo Coach Norman Black said, “Defensively we didn’t do that much different [from the first round game]. We did a great job closing out on the three. We did a good job breaking the press. We did more than just break the press but also looked to score off it.”
The win gives Ateneo sole possession of second place standing in the UAAP and extends their winning streak to six games—dating back to their first round loss to the Green Archers.
“6 straight victories but we’re still in second place. It doesn’t stop here. It’s nice to win against La Salle but it doesn’t mean much if we don’t play well against UE,” Coach Norman added.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles next play the Season 72 finalists the UE Red Warriors who most recently defeated the 3rd place Adamson Soaring Falcons, August 26 (Thursday), 4pm at the Big Dome.
Author’s Notes:
Player of the game honors went to Long, who shot a scorching 69% for 22 points including a 4-5 night from beyond the arc. Rookie forward Arthur Dela Cruz notched his first double-double of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Despite a 10-12 night from Mendoza, the Archers shot a dismal 51.7% from the free throw line. Ryan Buenafe hit his first three pointer this season after missing his first 16 attempts in 9 games.
