Ateneo vs FEU Round One

The Haymakers
Ateneo 66 vs. FEU 72
by rick olivares

With 23.1 seconds left in the game and FEU leading 69-66 after a pair of Marlon Adolfo free throws, the two protagonists took to the court after the game’s final timeout.

Tamaraws’ Coach Glenn Capacio had two simple instructions – watch out for either Chris Tiu or Rabeh Al-Husseini. Meanwhile assistant coach Bert Flores took a look at the Ateneo Blue Eagles as they broke their huddle then whispered into Capacio’s ear.

Scant seconds before the resumption of play, Capacio blurted out to his players --- “Kay Tiu.”

Teams like the Tamaraws have always given Ateneo problems. They have tall rangy players who can shoot like nobody’s business and once they’ve suckered you out, they’ll burn you with a drive. The Blue Eagles’ defense on the perimeter isn’t solid unlike in the interior where it can sting like a college entrance test rejection letter.

The taller foes draw out the Blue Eagle bigs and even if they miss a shot, their taller swingmen will outrebound the smaller guard corps of Ateneo.

What this team of Tamaraws has is a chip on their shoulder. Two years ago, the team was blown up in the wake of a failed Final Four bid. Last year they paraded the latest in a prefab assembly line of Arwind Santoses and one had to wonder how good this team would be with a little more seasoning.

It’s bad enough that everyone knows how good they are and even without Marnel Baracel they’re still more than a handful. And the ever-dangerous Tamaraws found their rallying cry in the Baracael to fuel their drive and giant-killing ways (last week they felled UE).

In truth, the game’s final result – a 72-66 victory by FEU – hinged on three vital plays.

With time running down in the first quarter, Ateneo Coach Norman Black fielded an unusual combination that would eventually doom Ateneo. The frontline was Nico Salva, Vince Burke, and Jobe Nkemakolam. The guards were Eric Salamat and Raymond Austria. Not exactly the most fearsome five, but they to their credit, did hold the lead even if only for a bit.

But as much as Ateneo led 21-18 after 10 minutes, it did give FEU the confidence to stand toe-to-toe with them. Instead of a quick and early knock out to the Tams, well they hung around like Juan Manuel Marquez versus Manny Pacquiao.

The next was with 4:35 in the second quarter when the law firm Salamat and Salamat (for Eric is the Truth) took a knee to the jaw that knocked him out for the rest of the match. The third year guard can change the game’s momentum with his defense, his ability to break down his guard, and his dime drops. He raids the passing lanes like a freelance safety and his ability to finish the break makes him one of the league’s complete players. Said FEU’s Ramos, “Kailangan maingat ka sa bola pag nandyan si Salamat. Dapat alam o kung nasaan siya lagi kung hindi aagawan ka niya ng bola.

And Salamat’s absence told heavily on the second half rotation.

The last perhaps some may say only in hindsight. But the truth of the matter is, FEU did its homework. They stopped Ryan Buenafe’s (4 points and 5 rebounds) quick first step and took Ateneo’s guards out of the game. Almost every shot the Blue Eagle backcourt took was challenged. So it was up to Rabeh Al-Husseini to try and win the game for Ateneo. The center scored a career-high 33 points (half the team’s total output) and hauled down 20 rebounds with 5 coming off the offensive glass. All game-long, Reil Cervantes or Aldrech Ramos were unable to stop the Ateneo big man from getting inside the paint where he burned them on a variety of jump hooks and lay-ins off the window. Once, he even beat Tams’ guard Jens Knuttel on the break for an and-one. When FEU took the lead on a couple of treys to start the third canto, it was Al-Husseini regained the lead for Ateneo with eight straight points (he scored 12 to FEU’s total of 15 in the third).

The Blue Eagle slotman… even if he missed at the 1:06 mark should have still gotten the ball for that fateful shot. After all he was getting his shots off with impunity.

Instead, the Tamaraws finished off the Eagles with a mighty 10-0 finishing kick and Cervantes putting an exclamation point to the huge win with a dunk at the buzzer. In this reality, Marquez hung around just long enough to land one memorable haymaker for the win and how.

In the Ateneo locker room after the game, Coach Black put things in perspective about getting better shots off and moving on after this loss. Better to lose now than later, you know. After all, UST which seems to be waking out of its stupor is on deck this Sunday.

But the Blue Eagles are still hanging around to land a haymaker of their own.

FEU 72 – Cervantes 14, Ramos 12, Fernandez 12, Barroca 11, Sanga 7, Cawaling 5, Adolfo 4, Alisbo 3, Tanuan 2, Knuttel 2, Macazo 0, Kave 0.

Ateneo 66 – Al-Husseini 33, Baclao 8, Tiu 7, Salamat 7, Buenafe 4, Reyes 3, Baldos 2, Long 2, Salva 0, Burke 0, Austria 0, Nkemakolam 0, Escueta 0

Thanks to my comrades in arms... Mike Abasolo and Kim Lesaca for the kwento and jokes. It was fun, dudes.

Note: In the Press Room between games of yesterday's double header, the media folks were given a sheet of paper with a list of all of NABRO's referees. At the bottom of the paper in bold-typeface, it said, "So you know the good referees from the bad ones."

Regarding filing protests, in case you want to know, in 1991 when the UAAP board asked the finals to be replayed (between FEU and DLSU) because a Green Archer who fouled out went back to the court and played a few more seconds or was it a minute. DLSU took afront at this and refused to play again so it was only the FEU crowd that showed up at the Araneta Coliseum. After the tip-off with no foe in sight, Johnny Abbarrientos layed the ball in for the board rom victory. I watched the game from home in aghast. It was a joke.

I remember Ateneo including its former team captain Joseph Canlas issuing a statement that the there should have been no replay for the few seconds the La Sallian player took to the court had no bearing on the final result. In fact, in the 1987 finals between Ateneo and UE, Jerry Codinera too, was on the court despite five fouls and he finished out the game! And for what -- a minute or two? Incredible.

I don't recall us filing a protest though.

Someone asked me if the refs decided the game and I said no. Sure there were some pretty bad calls but we didn't win pure and simple. I thought that we missed some shots, maybe had some not so good substitutions here and there, a bad play, but that's basketball. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. No need to over analyze the game.

Next game please!