Fight for the Future

Fight for the Future

Ateneo 78 vs. San Sebastian 51

by Rick Olivares (photos by Miggy Mendoza)

Champions League Match 6
November 14, 2007
Blue Eagle Gym, Ateneo De Manila University

Home front
Ford Arao sat quietly by the upper box section (close to the short cut to the athletics office) of the Blue Eagle Gym. For the most part in his five years in Ateneo, the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center was like home. It was their practice center and their refuge for convalescing. The only time the Blue Eagles played at the old barn was during pre and post-UAAP season tournaments.

Arao came straight from his PBL team practice. He was tired and looked every bit of it but he was glad to be home. “One more time, Ford,” I cheerily greeted him on my way out with Lady Eagles Coach John Flores. The big man stood and slapped hands with us.

“Hindi pa tapos,” he smiled referring to his customary post-game comment during the Blue Eagles’ hard climb to the final four of the just-concluded Season 70.

The team was suffering from a manpower shortage. With skipper Chris Tiu with the Philippine team in Singapore (as part of their preparation for the SEA Games), Jobe Nkemakolam concentrating on his studies, and Zion Laterre gone back to Australia, the Ateneo brain trust huddled outside the gym to discuss whether they should elevate some of the Team B players for the Collegiate National Championships. Tonino Gonzaga and Alec Rivera were in the gym on standby, but with their line-up already submitted and Arao available for duty, coach Norman Black thought they had enough firepower for the game.

Ateneo by virtue of its 3rd Place finish in the UAAP and runner-up status in the 12th University Games was seeded No. 3 in the 16-team field. And for the first round of the National Championships they had home court advantage.

And they were going to host the San Sebastian Stags at Blue Eagle Gym.

Eric Salamat arrived around 2:30pm and immediately chatted with his former schoolmates in front of the gym. “It’s no problem facing them,” he said when asked about playing them. “It’s all business.”

Demolition Derby
Ateneo started out with Rabeh Al-Husseini at the slot, Nonoy Baclao and Bacon Austria manning the forward position, and Eric Salamat and Kirk Long in the backcourt.

Former FEU Tamaraw Jorge Gallent (who also calls the shots for the PBL’s Harbour Centre) in his first year as coach of the San Sebastian Stags fielded the tandem of John Raymundo and sniper Jim Viray at the one and two spots with Gilbert Bulawan and Anthony Del Rio on the wings. The tough Jason Ballesteros was tapped to plug the gap at center.

The Stags immediately threw a physical man-zone at the Blue Eagles with their guards bumping Long and Salamat to force them into turnovers and hurried shots.

Little did they know that the Ateneo coaching staff in all their post-UAAP scrimmages had the referees calling the same ticky-tacky calls they were being whistled for. And the officials for the game were PBL referees who aren't whistle happy at the slightest contact.

So the team played a more frenetic passing game and began pounding the rock inside. “Can’t foul your man if he doesn’t have the ball,” said Salamat later on referring to the team’s quick passing game. Relishing his starting job and the opportunity to play against his former school, Salamat and his buddy Long were pests on defense and forced the Stags’ guards to let their forwards handle the ball. And this is where things got interesting.

With Al-Husseini playing a more physical game and Baclao altering the shot trajectories of the Stags’ big men, Salamat (five steals) and Long played the passing lanes. And the duo, along with the second unit, proceeded to run their former NCAA foes out of the gym.

From an 8-all score at the 5:40 mark of the first quarter, the quicksilver line-up of Arao, Ken Barracoso, Yuri Escueta, Salamat and Long wound up the first 10 minutes of action with a mighty 18-0 kick. The two teams were pretty much even in the second quarter until Ateneo’s patented third quarter surge saw them pile up an already huge 20-point halftime lead (44-24) into a 62-35 bulge. By the fourth quarter, the Blue Eagles had an answer for every Stag basket as they held on for the win.

The Replacement Killers
Barracoso was spectacular as he scored on a variety of drives and calm outside shots (he would finish with 13 points, four rebounds and one assist and one steal) to break the dam wide open. His three-pointer with the first quarter clock winding down was a monstrous statement. “All I can try to do is get better,” said the now-goateed swingman. “I’m grateful that coach is giving me the opportunity to make up for it.”

As Coach Black stated after the game, while they are trying to win as much as they can, they are also using the opportunity to prepare the other players for their next UAAP campaign.

And for the hundred-plus fans who trooped to the gym on a late-Wednesday afternoon, they got to see Mike Baldos who should emerge as a scoring force for next year throw his guards off with his version of the dream shake on his way to 10 points. Salamat, ever the hell-raiser, was the catalyst for the game as his stifling defense on the San Sebastian guards, made it difficult for their offense to set up.

It’s a luxury to have that defensive pressure from inside (Baclao) and out (Salamat) for it creates scoring opportunities for all. The Blue Eagles scored 33 turnover points to San Sebastian’s measly five points off turnovers.

If Gallent was an animated figure by the sidelines of the Recoletos team during the first half as he worked the officials and cajoled his players to execute better, he never got back up from his seat during the second half. The Blue Eagles advanced to the quarterfinals with a 78-51 victory.

After the game, Black exchanged high fives with his players. “Thanks, Ford,” he said to his big man who will don the Blue Eagle jersey for at least one more game.

Arao (8 points and 5 boards) smiled as he made his way to the dugout. “Hindi pa tapos,” he simply said. And then he was gone.

Post-game:
Before the team trooped to the dugout for a final post-game huddle, Norman gathered the players, “Let’s get ready for the school hymn,” he said. He stood for a few moments and seemed puzzled. “No singing,” he asked to no one in particular. You have to admire someone who has great respect for the school’s traditions. Thanks, coach!

“Hopefully, we’ve got three more games in us,” said the third-year mentor. “But now we’ll be up against the tougher teams. We’ll be working hard for this.”

In the meantime, Eric Salamat trooped out of the gym looking around. “I’m hungry,” he softly said amidst the sea of well wishers. “Pero mas gutom ako para sa championship.”

Ateneo 78 - Al-Husseini 18, Barracoso 13, Salamat 12, Baldos 10, Arao 8, Escueta 7, Long 6, Baclao 4, Austria 0, Reyes, 0, Monfort 0, Sumalinog 0

San Sebastian 51 – Viray 9, Aquino 9, Bulawan 7, Ballesteros 6, Juan 6, Delgado 5, De Leon 5, Raymundo 2, Saquillo 2, Najorda 0, Del Rio 0, Zulueta 0