My thoughts about the Bataan Risers’ win over the Bulacan Kuyas

My thoughts about the Bataan Risers’ win over the Bulacan Kuyas

by rick olivares

The Bataan Risers grabbed their tenth win in 11 matches against the Bulacan Kuyas, 63-49, at the Bataan Peoples’ Center last October 23.

Here are my thoughts about that win.

Pamboy Raymundo is a game changer

Whether starting or coming off the bench, this savvy veteran is just what the doctor, or in this case, Bataan coach Jojo Lastimosa ordered. He came off the bench and hit some big shots that helped stabilize the game for the home side.

In an extended sequence, he scored on a reverse lay-up, assisted a teammate, challenged a Jerrick Cañada triple then grabbed the loose ball then scored again. How is that for doing everything?

Raymundo finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.

The Risers need to hit those medium range shots.

After Pamboy Raymundo and Byron Villarias, the other Risers really need to stick those wide-open jumpers. Gary David, Gio Espuelas, and even Alejandro at one point, were missing those shots. If they can hit them, they’d open up the floor and give their defense a breather (it can be taxing when you are getting stops but are unable to score).

Alfred Batino and Bernie Bregondo stood tall when Jeepy Faundo was off.

Faundo struggled with six rebounds and two points (missing even a two-handed stuff). However, matched against Bulacan’s JR Taganas, Batino gamely battled the Kuya’s big man (who is older than the Risers’ forward/center).

Batino tallied four points, grabbed six boards, two assists, and a block while Bregondo scored four points and grabbed three caroms in the last two minutes of the third period.

And that leads us to the next point… the last two minutes of the third period that gave Bataan a much-needed cushion vs the Kuyas.

It was a poor shooting day for both sides (38% for Bataan and 28% for Bulacan which missed at least seven close range shots during the game). At one point, the Risers seemed unable to build on a 12-point lead that was chopped down to single digits. A mad last two minutes during the third period where Bregondo, Robbie Celiz, and Jayjay Alejandro scored helped them take a 50-32 lead.

An unsung hero of this late charge is Vince Tolentino who aside from being able to play stingy defense, and score can find teammates. That was a totally unselfish pass to Alejandro for a layup. Tolentino didn’t score a ton of points as he finished with only four points, three assists, and one rebound, but he played quality minutes in a collective effort.

It is a good feeling for management and the coaching staff of the Bataan Risers that in the midst of this streak, the team selflessly plays and once more, with no player in the Top 10 of all the major statistical categories.

On to the next game… against the Pasay Voyagers on November 3, once more at Bataan.

My thoughts about Ateneo’s 2nd round win over UE

My thoughts about Ateneo’s 2^nd round win over UE

by rick olivares

Ateneo bagged its eighth win in 10 matches, a 90-70, blowout of the UE Red Warriors. With a tough stretch against them – all teams vying for Final Four slots – the Blue Eagles need every win, every one stepping up, and every one back.

Here are my thoughts about that game against UE.

It was a game of two halves.

One team went out to throttle the foe in the first half, the other went out for the last 20 minutes at for large parts, lost focus. I know this happens with teams that post huge leads where they step off the gas pedal.

I certainly do not think they survived the game because of a huge lead. They went right back and seized it. But they should have not allowed UE back in the game.

You can point to giving the bench their minutes. Of course, but go out and execute not turn the ball over and play safe ball. They played it safe while UE attacked the rim non-stop. At one point, UE rattled off 12 straight points; what was once a 32-point lead was down to 20. The lead went down to 17 and back up to 26 to take the starch out of the Red Warriors.

And a win, as they say, is a win.

Tyler Tio and Raffy Verano have really picked it up a notch.

In the three games where he has started in the place of the recuperating Matt Nieto, Tio has posted the following averages in 25 minutes of play: 12 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists versus zero turnovers!

He played in only six matches of the seven games of the first round where his numbers looked like this: 2.2 points, 0.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 9.8 minutes. He has stabilized Ateneo’s offense with his presence, shed his indecisiveness, and well, he regained that moxie we saw two seasons ago during his Blue Eagles debut in the summer leagues.

You have to give this young man a lot of credit because at a time when Ateneo is hard hit by injuries and the one-game suspension to Thirdy Ravena, they are going through a rough stretch. Some have stepped up to the plate such as Angelo Kouame and Raffy Verano (who have been both outstanding), but Tio has stabilized them.

There is a reason why Verano is in the starting unit. He does a little of everything – scoring, defense, passing, and providing leadership. But in my opinion, it is his activity that gives life to the starting unit. He throws himself around and plays great defense. He thinks of the team before himself and that selflessness manifests in many ways. Like perhaps Matt Nieto and Isaac Go, Raffy is an extension of what Tab Baldwin wants in a basketball player.

Like Tio, when Verano is in – the team is stabilized.

For all their manpower losses, Ateneo is slowly finding its form with others stepping up.

Good teams find ways to win; not excuses. These three wins in the absence of the Nieto brothers and one for Thirdy Ravena is massive. It would be easy to have folded. And if this doesn’t kill you, it makes you better. But now, the last four games are all tough ones.

And Tab Baldwin needs all hands on deck.

Do you remember the time when Rich Alvarez was suspended for a game and Sonny Tadeo stepped into the starting line-up and plugged the hole at the four-spot? Ateneo won that game – a crucial one – and it helped propel them to the title.

That is how Tyler has been. That is how Raffy Verano is. And that is how Jolo Mendoza (on a day when Anton Asistio couldn’t find the range) and Gian Mamuyac did.

And all the wins have been double digits triumphs. If you watched them during the summer, they had their share of ugly games before romping with the title. The trophies and the scintillating games in the William Jones Cup just blur our memories, but not every game was as seamless as we like to believe they were. They are doing fine.

As I understand it, Ateneo should be back to full strength in time for the much-anticipated rematch with Adamson. But there is still National University to hurdle.

The Bulldogs handed themselves a lifeline when they beat UST in their last outing. This team is stocked with young talent. No way can this game be taken lightly.

Meralco Bolts’ late power surge propels them past NLEX

Meralco Bolts’ late power surge propels them past NLEX

by rick olivares

Rage Against the Machine has this song titled, “Take the Power Back.”

While the song is political in nature, in a lateral way, it fits the Meralco Bolts after their stirring comeback win over sister team, NLEX, last Sunday, 108-105, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Facing elimination after making it to the finals of the season-ending Governors’ Cup in the previous two seasons, the Bolts summoned enough pride to restore a measure of luster to a difficult season. Behind Allen Durham and Baser Amer who combined for 58 points, Meralco found its clutch gene that was missing during the six-game slide; its longest in team history.

Amer scored on an and-one to notch the count one final time, 105-all, while sending NLEX import Aaron Fuller out of the game on account of six fouls.

The third year pro grabbed a huge offensive rebound and called for time as Meralco worked one final offensive thrust to win the game.

Amer wasn’t done with his late game heroics as he drilled a triple for the game’s marginal points, 108-105, with 15 seconds remaining.

Durham preserved the lead when he swatted Juami Tiongson's potential game-tying three-point attempt as time expired.

The tag team of Amer and Durham carried the Bolts in the fourth quarter as they respectively scored 17 and 16 points.

Durham, in his third stint with Meralco, scored a ton of points for the Bolts finishing with 36 points in addition to 18 rebounds and seven assists.

Amer who struggled mightily in the previous outing against Northport, tallied 22 point. Baser also had seven rebounds and four steals for good measure.

Chris Newsome was also big for the Bolts are he finished with a near double double of 14 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals while Reynel Hugnatan added 12 points, 5 caroms, and 4 assists in the win.

Fuller led NLEX with 31 points with Larry Fonacier (21 points, five assists, and four rebounds) and JR Quinahan (17 points and eight rebounds) contributing for the Road Warriors.

The win gave the Bolts a 2-6 record with three matches to play. NLEX suffered a third straight defeat to drop to a 4-5 slate.

Scores:

Meralco 108 - Durham 36, Amer 22, Newsome 14, Hugnatan 12, Hodge 10, Caram 8, Lanete 2, Salva 2, Jamito 2, Faundo 0, Atkins 0, Tolomia 0.

NLEX 105 - Fuller 31, Fonacier 21, Quinahan 17, Ighalo 9, Galanza 6, Tallo 5, Marcelo 4, Taulava 3, Rios 3, Soyud 2, Baguio 2, Paniamogan 2, Tiongson 0, Monfort 0.