Sports

Matt Nieto’s heroics push Ateneo past Letran into semi-finals

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Published June 29, 2018 at 3:32 pm
Photo by Jason Mariano

MATT NIETO tucked his shoulder and drove hard for the layup with 5.4 seconds remaining as the Ateneo Blue Eagles edged out the Letran Knights, 74-72, to book the last semi-finals spot in the FilOil Flying V Preseason Cup on Thursday, June 28, at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

The Nieto brothers, Matt and Mike, led the balanced scoring for Ateneo, chipping in nine points apiece. Angelo Kouame had a near double-double of eight markers and 13 boards while the trio of Thirdy Ravena, Anton Asistio, and Adrian Wong added six points each.

Meanwhile, JP Calvo topscored for Letran with a game high 16 points. Bonbon Batiller provided a spark off the bench with 13 markers while Bong Quinto, Larry Muyang, and Christian Fajarito contributed 10 points apiece.

It was a slow start for the Blue Eagles in the opening period as Letran repeatedly attacked at pace to go up, 3-9, in the first four minutes of the game. However, the Blue Eagles started to find their rhythm offensively midway through the first frame as back-to-back triples from Wong and Tyler Tio allowed Ateneo to claim the advantage, 13-11. After trading a couple of baskets, Batiller sunk a floater off the glass to end the first quarter with Letran on top, 15-17.

The Knights continued their suffocating defense at the start of the second, forcing multiple turnovers that allowed them to erect the first double-digit lead of the game, 17-27. Ateneo continued to struggle offensively, missing numerous scoring opportunities until their defense willed them back into the game as four straight points from SJ Belangel trimmed the deficit down to four midway through the period. An Angelo Kouame putback slam ended the half with the Blue Eagles trailing, 30-35.

Matt Nieto and Raffy Verano started the second half with six straight points to pull Ateneo to within two. Ravena’s free throws then tied the game at 37 for the first time since the opening period. An Asistio triple and a Ravena slam continued to provide energy for Ateneo as they increased the lead to four midway through the period. The Katipunan-based squad continued their offensive onslaught, keeping Letran at arm’s length to end the quarter on top, 56-52.

Batiller caught fire at the start of the payoff period, scoring back-to-back baskets to spark a 6-0 run for the Knights. Both teams continued to trade baskets until Calvo’s runner off the glass took a two-point the lead for the Intramuros-based squad with 1:35 remaining in the game. The spitfire guard then reacted quickly to steal a possession for Letran, but the Knights failed to convert the turnover point. This led to a beautiful inbound play by Asistio and Mike Nieto on the other end to tie the game.

After several defensive miscues by the Blue Eagles, Quinto’s putback with 25.3 seconds left put the pressure back on Ateneo. This paved the way for Matt Nieto’s heroics as he scored consecutive layups to put the Blue Eagles firmly on top with 5.4 seconds left. Jeo Ambohot missed a potential game-tying shot as the Blue Eagles escaped with the win, 74-72.

After the game, Assistant Coach Sandy Arespacochaga gave credit to his players for digging deep in the last two minutes of the match, especially with fatigue being an issue for the team after coming off a two-week stint in Greece. However, he said he believes fatigue isn’t enough reason for the team’s near blunder, crediting Letran instead for their solid game plan. “We entered this game knowing our situation, so we didn’t want to make excuses,” the mild-mannered mentor said.

Nieto also shared his thoughts on how the team is overcoming basketball fatigue, saying, “We have a deep bench, so no one plays too [many] minutes, which is an advantage for us.”

The veteran guard also enumerated the positives of playing numerous games. “Sunod-sunod ‘yung game kahit sa Greece, pero exposure iyan eh, and para makuha talaga namin ‘yung system ng coaches,” he commented.

(We played consecutive games, even in Greece, but we get lots exposure from it, and it helps us fully grasp the system that our coaches want.)

On their semi-finals matchup against Far Eastern University (FEU), Coach Arespacochaga believes it will be another tough matchup. “They beat a tough team [in the quarterfinals], and we don’t expect any quarters to be given [to us] tomorrow,” he said.

The Blue Eagles will face the FEU Tamaraws in a semi-finals showdown between top UAAP team today, June 29, 3:30 PM, at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Quarter Scores:

Ateneo-Letran: 15-17, 30-35, 56-52, 74-72

Box Score:

Ateneo (74): Nieto, Matt – 9, Nieto, Mike – 9, Kouame – 8, Ravena – 6, Asistio – 6, Wong – 6, Verano – 5, Navarro – 5, Tio – 5, Go – 4, Belangel – 4, White – 3, Mendoza – 2, Maagdenberg – 2, Mamuyac – 0, Black – 0, Andrade – 0

Letran (72): Calvo – 16, Batiller – 13, Quinto – 10, Fajarito – 10, Muyang – 10, Celis – 4, Balanza – 2, Balagasay – 2, Yu – 2, Agbong – 2, Ambohot – 1, Mandreza – 0, Taladua – 0

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