September 30, 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of Ryan Buenafe’s famous three-pointer in the UAAP Season 73 Men’s Basketball Finals that propelled Ateneo to its third straight championship. As The GUIDON Sports celebrates Ateneo sports history this month, we look back at the context and legacy of Buenafe’s shot that is forever etched into Ateneo basketball folklore.
IN GAME two of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 73 Men’s Basketball Finals, the Ateneo Blue Eagles were desperate to put the series away against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws. “Sabi ko sa sarili ko [na] kailangan na matapos ngayong game two. Ayaw ko na umabot sa game three, lalo na underdog kami sa lineup (I told myself that we had to finish this now in game two. I did not want it to reach a third game, especially since we were the underdogs),” explained former Ateneo forward Ryan Buenafe.
However, the Tamaraws came charging out of the gates with an intensity and aggressiveness unseen in their blowout loss in game one. Throughout the first quarter of game two, FEU hit five of their first seven shot attempts—including two straight triples—while holding Ateneo to just four points in the first five minutes.
As the two teams engaged in an intense back-and-forth action, the Blue Eagles found themselves with a slim three-point lead and less than one minute remaining in the final period. In a crucial defensive sequence, the hearts of every Atenean in the Araneta Coliseum shattered as Frank Golla fouled FEU’s Paul Sanga on a three-pointer, giving the Tamaraws a chance to tie. However, the Ateneo community let out a sigh of relief as Sanga hit only one of three free throws that kept the Blue Eagles’ lead at two points.
The Blue Eagles needed a bucket in the next possession to ice the game, but the lack of a clutch-time scorer had plagued Ateneo all season long, and this game was no different. Forward Nico Salva had been struggling all game, while sharpshooter Kirk Long had just badly missed two crucial free throws in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Team Captain and leading scorer Eric Salamat was not even on the floor.
It looked as if the Blue Eagles were on the verge of getting overwhelmed by a superiorly talented FEU team that was desperate to force a third and deciding championship match. Despite being in their third consecutive finals appearance, the Blue Eagles were in unfamiliar territory.
A different road
For the first time in two seasons, the Blue and White were not considered the most talented team. The Tamaraws finished the elimination round as the first seed, running the league’s best offense behind their talented backcourt that featured season MVP RR Garcia and Rookie of the Year Terrence Romeo.
Meanwhile, the loss of key players from Ateneo’s previous two championship runs weighed heavily on the team’s overall outlook. “Alam namin na hindi kami ganoon kalakas, compared noong rookie year ko and sophomore [year] (We knew that we were not that strong compared to my rookie and sophomore years),” said Buenafe.
Despite a meager lineup, Ateneo Head Coach Norman Black doubled down on defense to keep the Blue and White afloat in the elimination rounds and the Final Four.
Black’s defensive philosophy and Ateneo’s championship experience also pushed them to blow the Tamaraws out of the water in game one of the finals. Ateneo’s defense held the offensive juggernaut to an uncharacteristic 49 points. Nevertheless, no one expected the same outcome for game two, and the Morayta-based squad emerged with guns blazing. Their intimidatingly aggressive offense kept the game close enough to force Ateneo into the weakest part of their game: Crunch time.
Tamaraw fans rejoiced as they pictured a third game heading their way. Ateneo had no one to turn to when the game was on the line; no one to say “Give me the ball, and get out of the way.”
To win this game and bag the elusive three-peat, Ateneo needed a star.
Searching for a star
Although Black had secured the Blue Eagles’ first two championships behind their suffocating defense, his two title squads still had their respective go-to players to bail them out in clutch situations. Their first championship team had star point guard Chris Tiu running the show, while Rabeh Al-Hussaini anchored Ateneo’s offense for their second run at the title.
With the two offensive stars gone, many eyes turned to Ryan Buenafe to lead the charge to another championship—they believed that he had the skill set to single-handedly carry an offense. Unfortunately, those believers were treated to a meager 7.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 40% shooting. Those numbers may be perfectly fine for any role player, but certainly not for Buenafe with his star expectations.
In spite of those expectations, Buenafe never wanted to be the star of the show, as he did not see himself demanding the ball in every possession and getting his team a bucket. “Siyempre, ang mga coaches malaki ang expectations sa akin tiyaka demands…pero para sa akin, hindi importante kung sino star every game eh. As long as nananalo, okay sa akin (Of course, the coaches have high expectations and demands for me. But for me, being the star every game is not what is important. As long as we are winning, it is okay with me),” said Buenafe.
Buenafe may not have been a star, but he was a champion who did whatever it took to win. He proved it with his three high school championships, and continued to show it with his contributions in Ateneo’s first two titles and game two of the UAAP Season 73 finals.
A moment of glory
With the rest of the team shooting poorly during game two, Buenafe knew he had to right the ship and keep the Blue Eagles in the game. “[Sobrang] aggressive ng FEU noong game two, pero dahil nga isa [ako] sa leaders ng team, kailangan ko mag step up (FEU was really aggressive in game two, but because I was one of the leaders of the team, I needed to step up),” shared Buenafe.
In the opening period, Buenafe scored Ateneo’s first bucket by powering through Paul Sanga to the rim, then forced a travelling violation on the other end. When Ateneo went down by 11 points in the second frame, he dropped a dime to Salva and scored five straight points to kick off a 14-2 run to take the lead.
The Tamaraws had no answers for him as he kept taking the ball to the rack. Although he scored only four points in the third quarter, he continued to make winning plays. In one instance with a little over four minutes left in the period, he grabbed a big offensive rebound and dished it to Emman Monfort, whose basket allowed Ateneo to regain the advantage.
By the fourth quarter, Buenafe turned into the unstoppable offensive monster that everyone expected him to be. He scored nine of Ateneo’s 11 points in the first nine minutes of the period to keep the lead with Ateneo.
After Sanga hit one of three free throws with 43 seconds left on the game clock, Monfort brought the ball down to run a play. However, Sanga’s risky gamble at the ball caused a near turnover for Ateneo that blew up the set.
With the play in shatters, the ball managed to find its way to Buenafe. Everyone in the building held their breath in anticipation for what was coming. Buenafe had been destroying the Tamaraws inside for the past 39 minutes of gametime, so there was no reason for him to try anything different.
Salva circled around Buenafe asking for the ball, but he waved him off to isolate against Carl Bryan Cruz. FEU bigman Aldrech Ramos stepped into the paint to give his wingman extra help, as they both prepared for the inevitable Buenafe drive that the entire building could see playing out in their heads.
However, Buenafe and the Blue Eagles had been defying expectations the entire season. As their title hopes hung in the balance, there was no better way to end the season than with one last act of defiance.
With the game on the line, Buenafe etched himself into the minds of over 17,000 people as he pulled up for the contested three.
“Ryan Buenafe THREEE!”
Rolly Manlapaz’s iconic line echoed around the arena as thousands of fans were left starstruck. Buenafe ran in front of the deafeningly loud Ateneo crowd, holding out “ATENEO” in front of his jersey.
In a season that many naysayers believed to be lost, Buenafe, a 7% three point shooter, secured Ateneo’s third championship with a dagger three. “Hindi ko mapaliwanag yung feelings ko noon sa [shot] ko. Sobrang ingay pa sa arena. Basta ang alam ko…tapos na ang laban (I cannot explain my feelings when I shot that. It was so noisy in the arena. I just knew…the battle was over),” said the eventual Finals MVP.
10 years and five more Ateneo championships later, the Ryan Buenafe three remains a symbol of the Norman Black-era’s most gratifying championship; for many, it is arguably the greatest shot in UAAP history.
