Ateneo cruises past UE, 80-75

M.A.S.H. Units

Fresh from a gutsy overtime win over the Green Archers but worn down by an assortment of minor injuries to key players, the Ateneo Blue Eagles repeated over the UE Red Warriors. The latter were themselves not at full strength: center Pari Llagas was serving a one-game suspension while Elmer Espiritu sported 11 stitches on his forehead and a Cyrus Baguio-type headband over it. If our first round win was a cautionary tale of needing to start strong, this victory was a sobering reminder to finish strong. Still, the final tally belied Ateneo’s game-long domination led by the resurgent Rabeh Al-Hussaini.

Bunched up with UST and DLSU at 4-3 (good for 3^rd – 5^th spots) going into the game, UE mainstays Paul Lee and Elmer Espiritu valiantly kept the Red Warriors in the fight with 20 points apiece. But the big comeback was not UE’s pulling to within four points with 20 ticks left. Rather, it was Rabeh’s outsized performance of 30 points (12 for 19), 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks. A game recap:

UE as usual started hot to lead after the first period, 19-21. But Rabeh quickly showed he was in fighting form despite a mild sprain by scoring in the paint against a succession of reserve Warrior big men. In the second quarter, Ateneo went on a 19-2 tear. Nico Salva led the surge by scoring 10 of his 12 first half points on medium-range shots. Jai Reyes tossed in 7. Ateneo brought an 18-point cushion, 48-30, into the locker room on torrid 67% field goal shooting versus UE’s 30%. Ateneo had 11 assists to UE’s 2, had more rebounds, 23-11, and more bench points, 20-7.

Jai Reyes canned two charities on a Lawrence Chiongson technical to resume hostilities. But UE quickly trimmed the lead to 11 even as Ateneo’s offense sputtered. Rabeh though made four straight baskets to keep the Warriors at bay by the end of the 3rd, 58-43.

Rabeh fired a side jumper to start the final canto. Espiritu and Acuna each muffed uncontested lay-ups that dramatized UE’s valiant but ultimately futile struggle. The Eagles unfortunately relaxed to allow the Warriors a last-ditch flurry of treys to come to within four points, 79-75, with 20 ticks left.

Fouls slowed down Salva and his offense in the second half, but he hauled down 9 rebounds as well. Jai was steady with 11 markers, 4 rebounds and 1 assist. Eric Salamat only had 4 points but added 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 (count ‘em, 5!) steals. Nonoy Baclao, his left hand heavily taped, managed 4 points to go with his 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block.

Our sloppy play in the final period resulted in a ghastly 25 errors, many unforced. UE exploited those by scoring 24 turnover points to our 12. Our heat-checked shooting cooled down to 44.9%, but we did hold UE to 33.8% from the field. UE outdid us in points in the paint, 30-32, but we shot better: 57.69% to 44.44%. From the perimeter, we again trailed narrowly, 23-25, but on more accurate conversions, 11/32 for 34.38% versus UE’s 9/38% for 23.68%. Free throw shooting was again suspenseful, with Kirk Long blowing 5 of 8 free throws awarded him. Over all we sank only 27 out of the 38 charities for 71.1%.

Ateneo basketball appears to some, especially the disinterested hoops junkies out there, predictably boring. A conservative pressure defense and half-court offensive sets spiced by situational transition baskets. Golfer and former PBA coach Tommy Manotoc, in his Aug. 12 column, described our basketball as PBA-style, with a lot of individual plays and less ball movement. (It’s up to our hoops analysts to react; but fact is, we out-assisted DLSU 16-13.) But a well-entrenched system such as ours impacts our entire value chain: from player recruitment and selection to training and development to succession planning. The emergence of reliable big men from Doug Kramer to Ford Arao to Rabeh is just the most obvious part of the equation. See how the coaching staff’s bringing along Nico Salva and Justin Chua. And observe how Ryan Buenafe’s been sacrificing his offense to hone his ballhandling and playmaking skills, the better to capitalize on his keen court vision and high basketball IQ. And overall, regardless of the team’s offensive feast or famine, note how much emphasis Team Ateneo places on defense. For this, as all Blue Eagles have to imbibe, is what wins championships.

Smash ‘Em to Smithereens

Listless La Salle earlier fell to Adamson to keep UE company at 4-4. Let’s dash the Archers’ Final Four aspirations once and for all and let’s do so in brutal, take-no-prisoners fashion. No more catching up, no more extra period for us. Broken arrows + empty quivers = disarmed and inutile Archers. They should save their Semis pretensions for next season.

Our Sunday rematch ought to be our last this year. After taking five of the last five and eight of the last ten, we’ve had enough of the Archers.

If they can’t do the math, tell them this: Ateneo victories will bookend their latest loss to Adamson. 2-4-3 … Go figure that out, Franz.