THREE GAMES into the season, the Ateneo Blue Eagles find themselves atop the standings in the 71st Season of the UAAP Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Ateneo 64, UE 58
After proving themselves capable of winning in a shootout, the Ateneo Blue Eagles displayed their defensive tenacity, wearing down the UE Red Warriors in a physical 64-58 finish last July 13 at the Philsports Arena, catapulting them to an erstwhile solo lead over the competition.
Rabeh Al-Hussaini (IV AB IS) carried the team on his back as he compiled 18 points and 17 boards in one of his best performances in the collegiate ranks. The starting center overcame the swarming UE defense to rack up 16 second half points.
After falling behind 49-47 on a Hans Thiele jumper to start the fourth quarter, the Eagles countered with a 16-3 tear to break away, 63-52, with under three minutes remaining. Capped off by a Nonoy Baclao (III AB IS) shot, UE was forced to regroup. Ateneo, however, already seized momentum and looked sharp on both ends of the floor.
The Red Warriors had one last shot at coming back, but James Martinez missed a crucial free throw that would have cut the Eagles’ lead down to four with 42.3 seconds remaining. Ateneo ran out the clock, handing UE’s first loss in the elimination round since 2006.
Chris Tiu (V BSM AMF) added 11 points, while Baclao and Ryan Buenafe (I AB IS) chipped in 10 apiece. For the third game in a row, Ateneo demonstrated its composure from the line, gaining a significant edge by knocking down 13 of their 18 attempts as compared to UE’s paltry 5-for-12 showing.
The game carried with a sense of déjà vu. On July 15 last year, both teams also met each other carrying identical 2-0 records. UE eventually won, 76-73, stopping the Eagles from gaining momentum in the double round-robin eliminations. Ateneo would not allow history to repeat itself.
“I had a bad game last time which helped me push myself this time because coach needed me to step up this game, manning the post and getting those rebounds,” said Al-Hussaini.
Although Elmer Espiritu was able to score 11 points despite the pesky defense surrounding him, Ateneo was successful in taking Marcy Arellano and James Martinez out of the scoring picture, ending up with a combined nine points.
Ateneo had several runs and tried to break the game wide open in the second quarter. UE, however, remained resilient and closed the first half on a 6-0 run that put them ahead entering the dugout, 27-26.
UE played without the services of Paul Lee, who was missing in action after contacting dengue.
Ateneo 72, Adamson 45
For 20 minutes, both teams were locking talons with each other. Suddenly, the Blue Eagles preyed on the unsuspecting Falcons.
Coming out of the halftime break up only by three, Ateneo fired on all cylinders, relying on a balanced scoring attack as they routed Adamson, 72-45, last July 10 at the Philsports Arena.
With an assortment of unforced errors and offensive fouls called all over the place, both teams were unable to find their rhythm.
However, Ateneo would start the second half on a tear, going on an 8-0 binge that gave them a 40-29 advantage, spearheaded by Tiu and rookie Nico Salva (I AB IS). They eventually limited the Falcons to 18 points in the second half.
Tiu led the way with 12 points, but Baclao, Buenafe, and Eric Salamat (III AB IS) all contributed 8 points each, the result of 14 assists for the Hail Mary Squad as compared to six by Adamson.
“The win was really a confidence booster for us. We started roughly because they played tough defense at the start but our own defense picked up later on,” said Tiu.
Michael Galinato, who scored 22 points against NU, was held down to only four points due to foul trouble. Adamson only shot 23% as a team for the whole game, owing to the lockdown defense Ateneo employed as the second half went underway.
“It’s my fourth year coaching Ateneo, we never won by this big of a margin against Adamson. Our defense is starting to kick in, we really want to become a defensive team. Even our rookies are starting to adjust to our defense,” Black said.
The game also featured a rare father and son duel, as Bacon Austria (II AB IS) gamely figured with his father, Adamson head coach Leo Austria.
Ateneo 79, La Salle 73
The game ended the way it began – two free throws from the King Eagle.
The archrivals set the tone of a balanced UAAP season with a gut-wrenching 79-73 victory for the Blue and White last July 6 at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Green Archers’ coaching staff was penalized with a technical foul for not wearing their official IDs on court. However, the turn of events ignited La Salle and played at the level which gave them the crown in Season 70.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Black was also assessed a technical foul for “disobeying the commissioner’s order.” DLSU scorer JV Casio nailed both charities to tie the game at 56, shifting the momentum in the Archers’ favor.
Down 67-61, the Eagles found new hope as Al-Hussaini and Salamat began finding their form, sparking a 10-0 in a span of two minutes that gave the Eagles a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. Both players wound up with 10 points each.
Led by Tiu’s 26 markers, the Eagles neutralized their opening day jitters with crucial defensive stops that gave headaches to the entire Taft squad.
Tiu alone outscored La Salle from the 15 parallel, knocking down 17 of 19 shots as compared to the Archers’ miserable 13 of 32 attempts.
But the free throws did not tell the whole story. Ateneo also dominated the boards, 43-38, and the blocks department, 7-2, four of which came from Baclao alone.
Yuri Escueta (MBA) played the spoiler’s role, blocking an LA Revilla layup. He grabbed a pivotal rebound – sitting down, no less – and stripped JV Casio’s three point attempt, essentially sealing the victory for the Eagles.
“Ayaw naming matalo, pangit kung magsimula sa talo (We didn’t want to lose, it wouldn’t look good to start by losing),” said Salamat, whose key play was a slashing drive over the outstretched arms of Maierhofer.
Highly touted rookie Buenafe saw his first minutes of action, scoring the first field goal of the Blue Eagles this season and finished with 8 points.
