Back in Blue: A look back at Ateneo's UAAP title season in 1988

Back in Blue: A look back at Ateneo's UAAP title season in 1988

by rick olivares

Thirty years ago, in 1988, the Ateneo Blue Eagles were favorites to win back-to-back UAAP Seniors championships. They annexed their first UAAP crown the previous season 1987 and as they had lost only two players from their first UAAP championship – skipper and outside gunner Nonoy Chuatico and feisty forward Haj Jeongco – while adding the returning Gene Afable and rookie Rico Santiago.

They had a first-year coach that year with former Ateneo star Fritz Gaston who was a part of the last two Blue Eagle NCAA title teams of 1975 and 76. Gaston had gone on to have a good PBA career winning with U-Tex where he was a solid player. Knee injuries forced him from the game and he instead went to the corporate world.

After Cris Calilan departed for Purefoods, a new coach was needed and Gaston was tapped.

There were several things that Gaston had in common with current Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin.

One, he was a stickler for fitness and conditioning. Gaston was remarkably fit and would join the team in all their drills. Baldwin is fit as well as joins the team too. That year, in addition to the training inside the Loyola Center, the team trained out of town as well as the nearby subdivisions.

The team ran outside the confines of the Ateneo campus. They ran up and down the winding and sloping roads of the nearby La Vista village and held their training camp in Batangas.

Prior to the start of training camp, center Danny Francisco returned from a vacation abroad. He immediately introduced himself to the new coach and hoped he’d give him a day to recover from the jet lag. Francisco recalled Gaston saying, “That’s nice, Danny, but I need you to run laps right now.”

Second, he was a stickler for defense. And that was going to be the hallmark of the team that year.

Third, he preached a team where anyone can step up and lead the team in scoring. In UAAP Season 51, in the 15 matches the Blue Eagles played that year, six different players led the team in scoring. In the fifteen matches, only one did Gaston play a short line-up and that was title game against La Salle when he rotated only eight players. During the elimination round, he thrice only used nine players and for the other games played 11, 12 players or the entire bench.

And lastly, Gaston used a lot of mind games not only on his team but also his opponents. At one point, Ateneo was supposed to practice on a court. Prior to them was their next opponent. With the other team’s practice still a few minutes away from being done, Gaston had Ateneo enter.

The core was intact – point guards Jun Reyes and Olsen Racela; swingmen Joseph Canlas, Mel Basa, and Gene Afable; forwards Jay Gayoso, Jet Nieto, Eric Reyes, and Albert Mendoza; and centers Danny Francisco and Alex Araneta. They were going to have their hands full that year against a host of loaded teams.

The University of the East Warriors (they had yet to add the adjective “Red” to their official nickname) had picked up an exciting rookie who made a name for himself in the summer league or even down south – Bong Ravena. They still had Vernie and Victor Villarias. They had tall point guard Boycie Zamar and others under coach Roehl Nadurata.

The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons under Mon Bernabe still had Benjie Paras, Joey Guanio, Ramil Cruz, and a pair of former Ateneo Blue Eaglets in uniform in point guard Alfie Manlulo and forward Bing Arroyo.

The University of Santo Tomas Glowing Goldies had their Twin Towers in Gido Babilonia, and Julian Tomacruz, the high-leaping Bobby Jose, and point guard Alfrancis Chua.

Far Eastern University had bull strong Dodong Postanes, point guard Oscar Latoreno, their kamikaze slasher Andy De Guzman, and Vic Pablo. Gerry Esplana was supposed to suit up for Fidel Que’s troops except that he made the mistake of playing commercial ball before establishing residency that he was declared ineligible for the rest of his college career.

Adamson, like UE, had yet to add an adjective to their name. The Falcons however, had the high scoring duo of Nandy Garcia who would later play for Ginebra in the PBA and Mulong Orillosa. They had a young Ronnie Cahanding, Teddy Naluz, Joven Bañez, and Jethro Doromal.

La Salle was making noises to unseat Ateneo. They had a stacked and loaded line-up. Dindo Pumaren was entering his final year. They had Joey Sta. Maria, Dickie Bachmann, Teddy Monasterio, John Cardel who left San Sebastian for Taft, and sniper Eddie Viaplana among others.

It seemed that save for National University – which had Cris Bolado – every game was going to be a battle.

Were there expectations for Ateneo that year entering the UAAP?

Yes, there were.

After bagging the Season 50 title over UE, Ateneo went on to win the National UAAP (that including all universities in what was the precursor of the Champions League) championship over Southwestern University with Mark Tallo, Calvin Tuadles, and Primitivo Mutia who like Tuadles played for Shell in the PBA. Chuatico hit the game winning, buzzer-beating triple to win the crown.

Then Ateneo also won the MMBL summer crown (at that time, that league had a seniors division).

Ateneo opened its title defense on the 16^th of July, 1988 at the Araneta Coliseum against UE. The game was close throughout as the Blue Eagles led by only one-point at the half, 40-39. Even without the graduated Jerry Codinera, UE was a handful. Especially their rookie, Bong Ravena who displayed the full repertoire of shots. He hit a triple, drove repeatedly for and-ones, and even dunked en route to a game high 27 points.

The Blue Eagles though won by a whisker, 75-73, as UE ran out of time. Jet Nieto, the father of current Blue Eagles Matt and Mike, top scored for Ateneo alongside Gayoso with 14 points.

The next opponent was Adamson which took the half, 43-41. The strong second half game of Francisco and Eric Reyes allowed Ateneo to chalk up win #2, 84-81.

Then game the 106-72 shellacking of NU with Jun Reyes scoring 26 while Nieto added 20 and Mel Basa, 19.

Ateneo crushed UP in its next outing, 88-58, with Nieto leading the hit parade of 23 points.

For its fifth game, the Blue Eagles led UST from the beginning for a 94-87 triumph.

The six straight win was at the expense of FEU, 106-97, with three players scoring 20 or more points. Gayoso tallied 25 while Nieto added 22 and Jun Reyes 20. Racela was the other player in double digits with 15.

Then came the 78-76 loss to La Salle. The Green Archers not only had a solid lineup, but they had finally adjusted to UAAP play in their third year in the league. DLSC – as they were known then -- led for the entire match but weathered a searing Ateneo rally before nailing the win. Ateneo’s 20-match win streak in the UAAP – dating back to the previous season – was stopped dead in its tracks.

In need of a win, Ateneo opened its second round at the Loyola Center with a n 86-75 win over UST. They followed it with a repeat win over FEU, 108-94 with Jun Reyes scoring 32 points. UP gained a measure of revenge with an 83-69 win over Ateneo in a game where Paras reasserted himself for 25 points.

Ateneo rebounded from the loss with a 91-77 win over NU where Alex Araneta topscored with 21 points.

In the second round encounter with UE, Ateneo held down Ravena to a mere 15 points, but won by only three, 81-78. Without any stud in the middle for the Warriors, Eric Reyes bludgeoned them for 23 inside points.

Ateneo smashed Adamson, 90-73, to head into the final match of the second round with La Salle that was virtually Game One of the finals. The outcome came down to the final basket as the Blue Eagles squeaked past their rival, 73-72, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Game One proper was on October 7, 1988, the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rosary. Whether you are a believer or not, it augured well for the Hail Mary Squad of Ateneo.

This time, it was Ateneo which dictated the tempo leading, 42-33, at the halftime break. But Green Archer star Dindo Pumaren’s shooting was on target for the second half (he topscored for the match with 24) as La Salle rallied, but key defensive stops allowed Ateneo to bag their second UAAP crown, 75-66.

The Reyeses were a tough combo to crack. Jun scored 19 while Eric added 15.

Pumaren finished his shortened UAAP career (he previously also played for San Beda in the NCAA) with a game high 24 points.

During that game, Danny Francisco scored 14 points and grabbed 21 rebounds. He led the team twice in scoring that season. And heading into Season 51, he was on the RP Youth team with Racela. Francisco was the only player who scored in double figures against the Chinese in the title game. Francisco was hailed as the Second Coming of the great Ramon Fernandez for his ability to dribble and bring down the ball, post up or even shoot outside.

After the victory, the team guested on Not So Late Night with Edu (Manzano) who himself was a former Green Archer. It was a light hearted appearance where the team got Manzano to wear an Ateneo championship shirt.