Sports

Weekly Takeaways: AWBT’s staggered return to the court

By Ethan M. Encarnacion and Eury See

Published October 12, 2022 at 11:11 am

Photo by Paulina Singh

Following a two-year absence of the 5-on-5 Women’s Basketball Tournament in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) is finally back in action. This weekly series will look to analyze the state of the Ateneo Blue Eagles as they return to the country’s premier collegiate league.

THE ATENEO Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) has had an up-and-down start on their return to the 5-on-5 basketball division of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

Ateneo’s Season 85 campaign began on a winning note after beating Far Eastern University (FEU), 67-64—ending a nearly six-year losing drought versus the Lady Tamaraws. However, their following game against the reigning champions National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs was not as celebratory after a 52-89 outing. The AWBT would go on to lose their matchup against archrivals De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers to end the week on a 1-2 team standing.

1. Ateneo’s dynamic duo

Ethan: IT IS still fresh into the new UAAP season, but everyone can already see that Jhazmin Joson and Kacey Dela Rosa have the chemistry that is able to carry the whole team on their shoulders.

The dynamic duo has been the key for Ateneothroughout the first three games of the team. An offensive stalwart in her own right, Team Captain Joson’s hawkeye vision which has been crucial for keeping the team’s offensive game well and running. In their first-week matchups, the Ateneo offense was consistently challenged by suffocating press defensive sets, but Joson managed to weave through whoever was in front of her to find her open teammates.

Being the leader of the pack, Joson seemed unfazed under constant pressure. Her ability to split the defense with her elite ball-handling is just dazzling to watch, even more so when she finds the inside finish around her defenders. While her turnover count is something to take note of—4.3 per game as of week one—Joson’s commanding presence on the floor will be the asset needed in the later stages of the season.

On the other side of the equation is Dela Rosa’s speed and ball-shifting capabilities, which allow her to continuously stuff the stat sheet. After the first week of games, Dela Rosa finds herself with a 53.8% field goal percentage, averaging a double-double of 19.7 points and 15 rebounds. She has been an absolute force on the defensive glass, overpowering her matchups and securing possessions for the Blue and White.

Right now, Joson and Dela Rosa are at the forefront of the AWBT’s offense. With the veteran guard clocking in the most minutes and the rookie sensation contributing a heavy offensive load, it is expected that opposing teams will be putting more effort into containing the duo.

2. Composure is key

Eury: FOR THE first half of their matchups, the Blue Eagles started their games well. In moments where they were not leading, they answered back with their own scoring runs, or at the very least, kept up with trading baskets. Their half-court sets saw offensive plays being called to action, most of which ended in an easy Dela Rosa bucket or a quick jumper from veteran LJ Miranda. With each match-up, the Blue Eagles look composed and ready to bust the game wide open. They are steady and calculated for the first three quarters一however, they usually crumble and falter in the last stretch of the games.

The AWBT led by as much as 14 points in their first game against the Lady Tamaraws, but sloppy playmaking and rushed possessions almost cost the Blue Eagles their season opener. Moving on to their match against the defending champions, the AWBT actually outscored the Lady Bulldogs in the second quarter, and, for a small moment, looked poised to dent NU’s long-standing undefeated record. However, with numerous offensive opportunities missed and a concerning tally of 30 turnovers, Ateneo dug themselves into a 37-point deficit.

Their third matchup against archrivals La Salle was a back-and-forth occasion. Joson’s fingerprints were all over the place, beating the Lady Archers’ swift defensive switches, which made it questionable why she was not assigned to be the primary ball handler in the later period. Ateneo abandoned their patient offense that was able to establish good plays, and instead forced bad shots and contested jumpers.

The rising concerns in the lack of offense in Ateneo’s late game may be a composure problem. Whatever the root of the issue is, late game executions are an absolute necessity for any team aspiring to win a championship. For the Blue Eagles, it is a glaring problem that desperately needs to be addressed in order to catch a glimpse of a Final Four contention.

The Blue and White has the right core pieces to go up against the most competitive teams in the UAAP, and it also has the proper supporting cast that complement their strongest points. In order to beat their opponents, Ateneo must be more consistent in maximizing their talents and keeping composure in the final minutes of their games.

3. There is no I in team

Ethan & Eury: STILL EARLY into the season, the AWBT’s bench unit is already being outscored by an average of 27.3 points of the opposing team on the floor. From numerous turnovers to meager ball control plays, the girls still have a lot to improve on especially when it comes to their offensive strategies as a team.

Looking back at the AWBT’s matches this season, a recurring pattern of a rotational Dela Rosa-Joson-Miranda structure exhibits itself in the list of top scorers after every game. Rookie Dela Rosa has showcased her outstanding skills in both scoring and rebounding, establishing herself as the leading scorer for two out of three of Ateneo’s matches. Following suit are usually veteran guards Joson and Miranda, who both regularly rack up double-digit outputs to propel the team forward. So far, in all the AWBT’s bouts, this trio alone has reaped a remarkable combined average of 15 points, 12.3 points, and 14.7 points per match, respectively.

Despite the huge playing advantage of the Blue Eagles led by the trio, it proves insufficient in driving their team up the rankings. In fact, the lack of production from the AWBT’s bench has been a big drawback to their overall performances.

Taking out the mentioned three from the equation, the points accounted for by the rest of the team stand at an average of 3.7 points against the Lady Tamaraws, 2.1 points with the Lady Bulldogs, and 5.8 points versus the Lady Archers. Comparing these to the combined averages of the Dela Rosa-Joson-Miranda trio, it is evident that the rest of the team has yet to sharpen up their act.

The Blue and White must look for more scoring options instead of relying too heavily on the same players. On days when defense is able to contain their lead scorers, the other girls must pick up the pieces to sustain their potent momentum and control in the games.

As the AWBT is set to embark on four more matches in the first round of eliminations, the team must learn to grasp the importance of sharing the offensive workload. Nonetheless, the season has only started which means that the team has plenty of time to demonstrate their capabilities and make room for much-needed growth.