The Blues Brothers
There was a manic ferocity in Yuri Escueta’s face. With the third quarter clock down to 6:11, the senior point guard pushed teammate Eric Salamat in the direction of UP court general Mike Gamboa as if to say, “Take him.”
Salamat himself was having a fantastic game. With the Blue Eagles once more seemingly overconfident, they allowed the Maroons to keep pace in the first two quarters. And for the briefest of moments, Joe Lipa’s boys actually led by three points at several intervals. That is until Salamat decided that he had enough of this nonsense.
He stepped on the accelerator and repeatedly drove right through the middle. If he didn’t have a shot, he fished for a foul and trooped to the free throw line. The second year guard then pilfered the ball from shell-shocked Migs De Asis in a game that seemed where it was one versus five. And that hardly seemed fair as he single-handedly wrested the lead for good with two free throws to break the game’s eighth and last deadlock at 29-all.
If Salamat was the firestarter, then the insertion of Escueta late in the second quarter was like pouring gasoline into the conflagration. As usual, the Bandana Kid started out with some sterling defense. With the Maroon guards flummoxed, Ateneo’s offense began to wake out of its stupor. And when Escueta laid perhaps the sweetest dish of the day when he bounced the ball back to a trailing Ford Arao who laid the ball in for a deuce in one stride, the rout was on.
At the 6:11 mark and Ateneo up 45-36, Salamat upon Escueta’s prodding poked the ball out of Gamboa’s hands. The former Blue Eaglet retrieved the loose ball but his 45-footer was not only way off the mark but a shot clock violation.
Gamboa blew his lips in frustration while Salamat and Escueta nodded at each other. There was to be no let-up.
Opposite directions
Prior to the second Battle of Katipunan, newspaper reports pegged the match to be a “bonus” win for Ateneo. But for the Blue Eagles, despite knowing that their rival was in a terrible freefall, they refused to take things lightly. “UP ‘yan,” said team manager Paolo Trillo. “They’ll play us hard like always. We’ll try to put it away early because we want to conserve energy for the big game (against La Salle) on Sunday.”
“Mas delikado pa nga ngayon kasi they (UP) have nothing to lose,” chimed in Jai Reyes who played sparingly and finished with 3 points, 1 rebound, and 3 assists in 12 minutes of action.
But UP Manager Bombit Silva (who is also an Atenean) digressed, “Ang tatalo lang naman sa Ateneo ang sarili nila.”
The Maroons in the meantime had more things to worry about than a resurgent Blue Eagles squad. Their 0-11 slate set off the rumor mill of calls for Lipa’s head and players engaged in shenanigans. Players like Woody Co, Martin Reyes, and De Asis, who were due for a breakout year instead faded rather badly. “We’re in a crisis,” said a UP player who refused to be named. “It isn’t solely about basketball anymore.”
Firing on all cylinders
It has been years since Lipa was the director of Ateneo’s basketball operations. While none of the current Blue Eagles played for him, everyone knows that the old warhorse was one of the architect’s of the blue and white’s resurgence. But there was no time for pity. The team had to be razor sharp heading into the big game against the Green Archers for the prized second seed of the Final Four.
In the first quarter alone, seven Eagles conspired for 21 points. Minus rookie Raymond Austria who was in sickbay, every Atenean save for Jobe Nkemakolam scored at least one point.
After Gamboa scored on a jumper to bring up closer at 40-36 at the start of the third quarter, Ateneo unleashed a crippling 14-0 barrage that ended UP’s threat.
Salamat top scored with 18 markers. Ford Arao had his ninth double-digit scoring game while adding 9 rebounds. Nonoy Baclao, who is getting better with every outing, scored 10 points on 83% shooting from the field and dunked on the break for the second straight game. Eman Monfort had his best output of the year when he also finished with 10 points. And Kirk Long (9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) provided another highlight reel shot with a nifty reverse lay-up.
With some five minutes left in the game, Ateneo coach Norman Black put in his bench. As Chris Sumalinog’s trey ended the scoring at 93-59 and provided the Blue Eagles with their biggest winning margin so far (34 points which was conversely UP’s worst thrashing of the year), the team allowed itself an opportunity to smile. They had won four straight and have a little control over their destiny.
As the Ateneo gallery launched into its alma mater, the Blue Eagles cast their eyes towards the widescreen in the bleachers. There was one more matter that needed settling… the game’s best player. And the television panel chose the player who stoked the team’s competitive fires that got blue and white juggernaut going. The team let out a collective whoop for Eric Salamat.
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