Ateneo barges into fifth consecutive PCCL finals
by rick olivares pic by brosi gonzales
December 9, 2011
San Juan Arena
Time was running down on the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ shot clock. The ball
was eventually worked into center Greg Slaughter’s hands and he took a hurried
jumper against San Beda opposite Dave Marcelo. Slaughter’s shot was short and
it looked as if the shot clock would expire and the Red Lions would continue
their frenzied rally.
Out of nowhere, Ateneo rookie Kiefer Ravena swooped right in to grab
the ball and in one motion throw a reverse layup that sank just as the shot
clock buzzer rang.
The basket gave Ateneo a 70-58 lead with 2:20 left to play and
somewhat stunted the Red Lions’ furious rally. The Mendiola-based squad earlier
cut down Ateneo’s 16-point lead to six, 57-51, at the 8:18 mark of the fourth
period.
However, Bacon Austria doused the fire with a 15-foot jumper. Ravena
posted up Baser Amer and hit a turn-around bank shot. And the lead restored.
And after Ravena’s save of Slaughter’s miss (he shot 9-14), the
pressure was somewhat relieved. As Nico Salva put the finishing touches of a
76-63 win with a fastbreak stuff following a pass from Ravena, the Blue Eagles
were headed back to the final of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League for
the fifth consecutive year.
Ateneo first made the finals in 2007 where they beat the University of
Visayas Green Lancers of which Slaughter was a part of. They returned the
following season only to lose to De La Salle University. In 2009, they beat Far
Eastern University. And in 2010, they took the finals series 2-1 over Adamson
University.
Two Blue Eagles – both of them graduating – will have suited up for
every one of those games: Kirk Long and Austria.
San Beda missed Jake Pascual and Garvo Lanete who were out with
various ailments. The match also marked the last time that Marcelo will wear
his alma mater’s jersey in a collegiate match.
The Red Lions took an early 7-0 lead behind Anjo Caram, Mar
Villahermosa (who scored a game high 21 points), and Kyle Pascual. But Ateneo
tightened its defense and answered with a 10-2 blast to take a lead they would
not surrender.
Ateneo took advantage of big man Slaughter’s presence as Pascual and
Marcelo had trouble defending him. But the moment the Blue Eagle slotman went
to the bench, the Red Lions attacked the interior.
But the Loyola Heights-based team lorded it over the boards with 37-21
(with a 13-7 disparity on the offensive glass). Ateneo translated many of those
boards into 14 second chance points.
After the match, Ateneo head coach congratulated his victorious team
that will face the San Sebastian Stags who have a precious twice-to-beat
advantage in the finals. The Stags have squeaked past the Blue Eagles in both
meetings (one in the Filoil Premier Cup and the other in this year’s PCCL
semifinals round robin series) this year. “We have to prepare well for their
man-zone,” underscored Ateneo head coach Norman Black who will be going after his
15th title in seven years with the Blue Eagles. “I hope to play two
games next week.”
Ateneo 76 – Slaughter 20, Ravena 18, Salva
17, Chua 6, Gonzaga 5, Austria 4, Long 4, Tiongson 2, Golla 0, Pessumal 0,
Capacio 0, Erram 0.
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