ADMU vs. DLSU Round 2: Blue Eagles Rip Green Archers, 65-57

How fortunes have coalesced in a mere two months. Back on July 6, our Ateneo Blue Eagles tuned out the roaring crowd of over 22,000, celebrity guests like boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Washington Wizard Gilbert Arenas and the revelry and rivalry with La Salle to take round 1, 79-73. That started our first streak of five wins, truncated by our sole loss to FEU, after which we posted seven straight victories heading into this regular season-ender. That setback proved fortuitous, in that it marked Rabeh Al-Hussaini’s grand coming out party festooned with 33 points and 20 rebounds. He’s been chalking up MVP-like numbers since then. Meanwhile, Chris Tiu has been wearing the mantle of King Eagle with great pride, smarts and all-around brilliance. Nonoy Baclao and Eric Salamat have been our bulwarks in defense in grand take ‘em high, take ‘em low fashion. Jai Reyes is our quarterback and increasingly reliable perimeter sniper and defender. And Ryan Buenafe’s prodigiousness as a rookie lies not in stats alone but in the toughness and composure he brings to the game and against grizzled veterans and fellow newbies alike. Our first unit and super-sub Eric account for a good 83% of our 13-game average of 74.3 points (and of other key indicators besides). Ranged against the bottom-half teams, we norm 77.2 per outing for a hefty 17.1 points margin. But in our five matches thus far versus fellow Final Four squads, we’ve averaged a shade less than 70 points (69.6 to be precise) and allowed points against us of 66.8 for a narrow 2.8 points spread. The latter stat of course includes our six point deficit at the hands of the Tamaraws in the first round. The point is self-evident: we have our work cut out for us, first against UE (whom we beat twice but by just 10 points in all) and then either FEU or DLSU. Still and all, these Blue Eagles ranked as low as fifth during the pre-season have risen to, and stayed at the top.

In contrast, the defending champions bucked three defeats to make it to the Final Four. The Green Archers underwent such adversities as player injuries, their head coach out on official business, and narrow escapes. FEU’s on the skids after barely beating two bottom-dwellers then being thrashed by UE last Thursday, to hand La Salle the last twice-to-beat edge if it shoots down Ateneo. In the Archers we face an interchangeable first five anchored on Jayvee Casio, then the most productive bench in the league led by Rico Maierhofer. James Mangahas is often pressed into the power forward position because of the inferior contributions of PJ Walsham and Ferdinand. Mangahas and PJ Barua are more in the mold of rangy and deadly FEU and UST wingmen. Another contributor is atypical tyro Maui Villanueva while Joshua Webb is part of the early rotation. But one of DLSU’s growing strengths is its guard corps. LA Revilla is a blur on the break and no slouch from the long court, Simon Atkins is rounding into form, Hyram Bagatsing is a steady playmaker and three-point shooter, and Bader Malabes is a streakshooter and tough defender. The Archers are then at least 13 deep, and our second unit, net of Eric, will have to step up. For winning time, we have none better role models than our 2002 champions.

Other than The Shot vs. UE, Gec Chia was known for being scrappy in rebounds and loose ball recoveries when he wasn’t sinking medium-range jumpers and reverse lay-ups: attention, Kirk Long and Bacon Austria. As back-up center or power forward, Sonny Tadeo came out of semi-retirement much as Jobe Nkemakolam was recalled from Team Glory B; Jobe and Vinnie Burke should pick up on Sonny’s tenacious defense and drives down the middle and along the baseline. JR Elmido was the undersized forward with great low post moves and reliable free throw shooting honed with the Eaglets; take a gander, Mike Baldos and Nico Salva, you who are blessed with more height and athleticism. And Epok Quimpo was the pint-sized point guard endowed with great quickness, upper body strength and terrific range from the arc. He ably quarterbacked while LA Tenorio’s broken shooting hand healed, and Yuri should be giving us the same quality minutes. And Badjie del Rosario was the Eaglets mainstay playing above his height and throwing his body at defenders with controlled abandon or stroking from rainbow country; he’s a tough southpaw like you, Tonino. And last but not the least, Oping Sumalinog, you have the makings not of those exemplary shock troopers of yore, but of swingmen par excellence Larry Fonacier and Wesley Gonzales. They—and you—have the shooting touch and physique of the do-it-all FEU and UST types that we so admire. So keep believing in yourself, your coach and your teammates, and just keep improving your game to be ready when your number is called. If anyone’s interested, I have my overplayed boxed DVD set of the 2002 Season of Grace to lend. But meanwhile, this current crop of Blue Eagles had their final round assignment to complete. At stake for us: Ateneo pride and winning momentum, topped by the guilty pleasure of denying them an outright twice-to-beat advantage and relegating them to a playoff with FEU for that prerogative. If our first encounter was a portent of how our regular season campaign would go, how would this possibly last tiff of the two legendary protagonists set the tone for our Final Four and, God willing, Finals?

Swooping Down, Sweeping Up
Our Blue Eagles asserted their mastery over the Green Archers in the regular season before another throng of over 22,000. The most productive starting five in the league seized control of the game in the opening minutes and erected biggest margins per quarter of 11, 14, 15 and 8. Ateneo had no trouble warding off sporadic La Salle rallies, which trimmed our lead to 3 in the third quarter and 6 early in the fourth. So overpowering was the Blue Eagles’ performance that it left not a few Ateneans wondering if the team had already tanked, if Ateneo still had something left for at least three crucial games ahead. The 8-point difference at game’s end belies the Blue Eagles’ dominance. For so thoroughgoing was it that it left the gang green mute for long stretches and barely able to summon a smattering of polite applause at game’s end. On either side of the Big Dome, Ateneo defense was a carapace of rejected and altered shots, forced and unforced turnovers (but more on how we fared in this department later). The Ateneo swarm left shock and awe in its wake, with fans in funereal green surmising aloud or in private that their team had been mortally wounded ahead of its F4 date with FEU. The game retrospective:

Close to 300 Ateneo fans before a large screen set up at the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center joined over 13,000 Blue and White faithful at the Big Dome in cheering on our Blue Eagles to a resounding 65-57 victory over the shellshocked Green Archers. Securely ensconced in first place, Ateneo played loosely and confidently while DLSU, despite the return of head coach Franz Pumaren, was tight and tentative as a garter from the pressure of the twice-to-beat edge at stake. Captain Chris Tiu kicked off our scoring with two charities, then center Rabeh Al-Hussaini sank a 10-foot jumper from the left flank. Mangahas pivoted in the paint to score DLSU’s first points but muffed the bonus free throw. Tiu drew roars of approval from the Ateneo fans with a pull-up from the keyhole and then a corner triple to stake us to a 9-2 lead. Ferdinand scored on a putback even as the Archers hoisted and missed four attempts from the arc. The Blue and White juggernaut proceeded, with Ryan Buenafe scoring his lone field goal on a fastbreak, Rabeh converting on an exquisite high-low play, and Jai Reyes burying his first of three treys in the game. Ateneo 16, La Salle 4! At this point, our side had scored 9 points off 7 DLSU turnovers. Barua sank a floater then Eric Salamat traveled for Ateneo’s third error, but the UAAP’s chief thief redeemed this by stealing the ball and scoring on the break. Barua answered with his own drive and in the ensuing play, Rabeh split from the line on a Walsham foul, with the two warned for trash-talking. The ineffective, overstaying La Salle center out of the Letran Squires then made his only points in the game on an undergoal stab. Baclao scored on a gimme after an Archers rebound scuffle. Maierhofer made good on both gift shots to close the first canto with Ateneo up, 21-12. King Eagle Chris had jumpstarted the Ateneo offense with 7 markers, along with 3 boards. Meanwhile, the Archers had shot a woeful 33% from the field with no assist to show in the first 10 minutes of play.

As the second quarter got underway, Ateneo’s second unit held sway with Yuri Escueta firing off a three-pointer from the far left elbow for Ateneo’s third make of six attempts from rainbow country. Bacon Austria then smothered Villanueva in the paint for the Eagles’ fifth rejection. Rabeh powered undergoal off Rico for a 26-12 bubble. Eric countered a Rico drive with one of his own to preserve the 14-point margin before an 8-point Archer run ensued versus a lone Rabeh charity. Mike Baldos, seeing 14 minutes of action with Nico Salva getting just four minutes’ playing time and Jobe Nkemakolam none at all, scored under the basket followed by an exchange of triples between Malabes and Jai Reyes. A Buenafe block caused Mangahas to travel, but Ateneo was equally guilty with 14 turnovers, 10 right in the second period. After a Rico breakaway, Tiu spotted Baldos underneath for a dime drop, Ateneo’s seventh, for a 36-28 cushion at the half. True to its billing, the Blue Eagles’ first unit had amassed 25 points to the Green Archers’ 8, with Jayvee Casio held scoreless. Ateneo showed up the league leader in three-point shooting with a 4 of 8 clip to DLSU’s paltry 1 of 11. Our overall field goal accuracy at the turn was 52% to La Salle’s miserable 34%. We also controlled the shaded area with 23 caroms to the other’s 16 and 6 blocks to their 3.

Coliseum barker and closet Atenean Rolly Manlapaz had gotten us off on a high note by announcing our upcoming Sesquicentennial watershed along with our starting five. Our halftime show featured a rare appearance by our lady pep squad (concentrating on Sunday’s cheerdancing competition), an always heart-warming Blue Eagle Spelling led by our grade school cheerleaders, and an excellent drumline with a lot of attitude that rendered DLSU pep an afterthought. Hostilities resumed shortly with Atkins sinking a trey. Baclao, more offensive-minded than he has been in recent games, scored on a perfect pick-and-roll with Ryan. After a Malabes drive, Nonoy put back a Jai miss then he swished his only triple of the season from the top of the key. Execution was again the name of the game with Tiu low-posting his smaller defender then kicking out to Rabeh for a jumpshot in a role reversal to restore Ateneo’s double digit lead, 45-35. A Rabeh power move then a fastbreak ballooned our lead to 15, 50-35. Barua had another floater before Eric replied from the side. A Rico drive and a Maui side J sandwiched a Salamat getaway before the quarter ended with the Eagles securely ahead, 54-41. Casio was 0 of 7 from the field.

In the final canto, Jayvee sent La Salle hopes soaring with his first point from the stripe. La Salle staged its last rally with a Rico J, Atkins steal and breakaway lay-up, and Maui corner jumper to narrow the gap to 54-48. But Rabeh scored on a deep seal and off a Tiu assist. Rico sank two charities but Rabeh posterized Archers assembled with an awesome banked jumphook down the middle. Chris drove down the left to negate Casio’s first field goal. Jayvee then scored his only other on a fastbreak coming off an errant Salamat pass. After Rabeh gift shots, Rico made a triple but Nonoy confounded him on the other end with a nifty up-and-under move, 64-57. Jai settled the foregone conclusion with a split from the stripe for his 10th point.

Ramifications
Ateneo defense shut down Casio, with his 2/16 shooting and 5 points his lowest since his four markers in La Salle’s 93-69 rout of NU. The Blue Eagles actually held the Green Archers to their weakest ouput after a 62-68 loss to UE last Aug. 2. Mangahas’s 4 points on 2 of 8 from the field also showed his match-up problems as a power forward. Villanueva had four points also, while Walsham and Ferdinand had just a basket apiece. Webb started the game but did not score in a mere three minutes of action. Rico was the lone bright spot in the green frontline with 16 points, 10 rebounds (5 offensive), 1 assist, 2 steals and 1 block. But arrayed against this was Rabeh’s own double-double of 18 points and 11 boards with an assist and a block. Nonoy had 11 points and 6 boards to go with his 4 blocks and 1 assist. Jai had 10 points on 3 of 4 from three-point range aside from his leech-like D on Casio, while Chris was again multi-dimensional with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal. Eric chipped in 8 for a balanced Ateneo attack (Kirk Long did not play). As a team, we shot 6 of 16 from the arc and 20 of 38 (52.6%) from within for a high 48.1% from the field. We were 7 of 10 from the stripe to La Salle’s 6 of 10, but the latter were woeful in three-point shooting at 13% (3/23) and from the more traditional range (21/48) for a mediocre 33.8% overall from the field.

Ateneo’s 21 turnovers are an ongoing cause for concern, though. The enemy scored 20 points off these errors, a bushelload of which was actually unforced. Our points off DLSU’s 13 TOs were 13. We had only 2 steals to the other’s 8. Another area of improvement is rebounding, which we dominated 43-37, but only 5 of which were off the offensive glass to La Salle’s 13. Assists were fairly even, with our 15 to their 13. On the whole though, we demonstrated great composure, control, maturity and aplomb in precluding not a single deadlock or lead change. We shrugged off the premature return of chief bench tactician Franz Pumaren from his ill-starred Asian Youth campaign, and consigned DLSU to a playoff with FEU on Thursday. With those two in a virtual best-of-three, we look to face a weary opponent in the Finals after, God willing, hurdling an always dangerous UE in our own Final Four date.

On to the Big Dance
Eons ago, a piece on The Dancing Atenean appeared in a Hi-Lites issue. Some St. Scho ladies of the counterpart school organ visited High School and inquired about the article’s writer. Imagine his surprise at such a reaction. But he couldn’t have divined that some three decades later, such a title could well apply to our Final Four invites, 9 straight since 1999. For all that, we have just one title to show. My website neighbor Tony Samson believes year in and year out that this is it. I’m more of a guarded optimist (hopeful pragmatist?) myself. Still, I have to say there’s something different about this Blue Eagles batch, and our season 71 campaign. The prospect of going all the way is as tantalizing if unnerving as getting the prettiest, dancingest girl in the party to be your partner for one heady (not hedonistic, for any young readers out there) endless evening.

Earlier last Saturday, our Blue Eaglets wrested first place from the La Salle-Zobel Jr. Archers, 69-64, right on our Blue Eagle Gym homecourt. Our double victory over the arch-rival made for a sound and satisfied sleep even after the late-night replay of our Seniors win that gave us a sweep of the second round. As the Good Book says, the lines are indeed falling in pleasant places.

September shall approach us at long last standing out and alone on the cusp of conquest. The din of battle shall subside then give way to 3,153,600 minutes of pent-up anticipation and frustration released in celebration and exultation. September shall greet and reward us with the prize for sustained excellence, fortitude, tradition and redemption. And the booty of the entire Ateneo community’s relief and fulfillment and gratitude.

If RENT has its Seasons of Love, we have our own Seasons of Passion (with apologies to songwriter Jonathan D. Larson for the adaptation below). On behalf of the Ateneo community, this is for all the Blue Eagles who competed courageously but fell short … and of course our Blue Eagles today who will finish well, who will emerge the best:

Three million one hundred fifty three thousand six hundred moments so dear
Three million one hundred fifty three thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure six years?

In off-seasons, in tryouts
In morning practices, in evening practices
In workouts, in extra shots, in video reviews, in studies
In three million one hundred fifty three thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, six years of the quest?

How about passion?
How about passion?
How about passion?
Measure in passion

Seasons of passion
Seasons of passion

Three million one hundred fifty three thousand six hundred minutes
Three million one hundred fifty three thousand journeys to plan
Three million one hundred fifty three thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure the quest of our players and coaches?

In injuries that they played through
Or in criticisms that they endured
In wins that they pulled out
Or losses that they suffered

It's time now, to sing out
Though the story never ends
Let's celebrate
Remember the years in the quest of our Blue Eagles

Remember the passion
(Oh, you got to, you got to remember the passion)
Remember the passion
(You know that quest is a gift from up above)
Remember the passion
(Share passion, give passion, spread passion)
Measure in passion
(Measure, measure your quest in passion)

Seasons of passion
Seasons of passion
(Measure, measure your quest in passion)