Led by Eric Salamat’s five-for-seven showing from beyond the arc, the Ateneo Blue Eagles extended the Philippine Collegiate Champions League Finals (PCCL) to a three game series, defeating the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 70-59, on December 5, 2010 at Ultra.
The Falcons, who are gunning for their first ever PCCL title, kicked things off on over drive, hassling the Ateneo starting five of Kirk Long, Frank Gola, Justin Chua, Emman Monfort and Eric Salamat into an offensive funk. The Blue Eagles were unable to thread through passes, limiting them to only 11 points to Adamson’s 18.
In the second quarter, Ateneo slowly gained rhythm. But Adamson mainstays Roider Cabrrera and Jan Colina, who finished the half with ten and nine points respectively, protected the lead, keeping their opponents at arm’s length.
On two occasions, the Blue Eagles got within two points, but Colina and Cabrera, quickly shot back with mid-range daggers. The half ended with Adamson tightly clenching their 30-24 lead over the Eagles.
Facing elimination, Ateneo entered the second half with a 7-0 run courtesy of a Salva two-ball, a Monfort three-pointer, and two free throws by Salamat. In just three minutes the Blue Eagles seized the lead for the first time, 31-30, and never looked back.
Ateneo’s urgency and renewed offensive prowess dismantled the Falcon’s zone defense. The Blue Eagles poured in 27 points in the third quarter, three points more than what they scored in the first and second quarters combined.
Salamat led the shooting surge with his hot hand from beyond the arc. At one point, the veteran Blue Eagle went on a 8-0 run of unanswered points with back-to-back threes, and an emphatic fast break lay-up to top it off. At the end of the third, the Blue Eagle’s lead ballooned to six points.
Salamat, however, was not done yet. Entering the fourth, he made back-to-back threes for the second time, giving the Blue Eagles a 12-point lead. Salamat finished with 24 points, and 71.4% shooting from three-point land.
The Blue Eagles maintained their dominance throughout the game; the closest the Falcons would get was when Lester Alvarez cut the lead to seven with a pair of threes of his own. But by then, it was game over for the Falcons.
With the win, the Blue Eagles have kept their hopes of a back-to-back PCCL Championship alive. The third game of the Finals series will be played tomorrow, December 6, 2010, 3:30 PM at the San Juan Arena.
Box Score:
Ateneo 70: Salamat 24, Salva 13, Monfort 11, Long 9, Golla 4, Austria 3, Chua 2, Tiongson 2, Dela Cruz 2
Adamson 59: Colina 18, Cabrera 10, Alvarez 10, Nyles 5, Manyara 4, Camson 4, Lozada 2, Brondial 2, Rios 2, Stinnett 2
