Gimme Shelter
Ateneo 78 vs. UE 71
words by rick olivares & pic by raddy mabasa
Storm clouds
It was as if a storm cloud hung on top of the Araneta Coliseum. As the venerable hoops joint began to fill up, there were three topics of conversation floating around – the point spread (that was 5.5), Typhoon Ondoy, and the readiness of both Ateneo Blue Eagles and University of the East Red Warriors, the protagonists for the Finals. But the main topic was the typhoon and the devastation it wrought.
In fact for a while there, it didn’t seem like it was the UAAP Finals. The crowd was subdued as was the cheering early on. Many of those involved during the game even felt its wrath including Blue Eagle guard Jai Reyes and the yet uncrowned league MVP Dylan Ababou who was also stranded on top of his roof in Sampaloc.
Ateneo Head Coach Norman Black didn’t wish to be disrespectful but he quietly hoped that the series would be soon over with so everyone could get on with the business of trying to rebuild their homes and communities. “Unfortunately we have some business that is unfinished. We’d like to get the job done at the soonest possible.”
It was television anchor TJ Manotoc who succinctly captured the moment as he paused during the pre-game briefing to remark, “Everyone can’t wait for the game to begin. Ironically, even in front of 20, 000 people, the court can be a player’s refuge.”
Torrential treys
In what has been a freaky UAAP schedule, the Ateneo Blue Eagles had to manage long breaks between games just to keep in tip-top shape. But the 11-day gap between their Final Four demolition of the UST Growling Tigers and Game 1 of the Finals was the longest as it coincidentally matched their longest win skein of the season.
“Believe me when I say that we are ready,” offered team trainer Dennis Aenlle before the team came out for their warm-ups.
The Blue Eagles raced to their biggest lead of 17 points when the Sixth Man of the Year Nico Salva drained a jumper from the right baseline 33-16. But Rudy Lingganay, UE’s heady point guard, inspired his side to drop a 18-1 bomb that saw the Red Warriors take a one-point lead going into the half 35-34.
Rather than chew his squad out inside the dugout, Black encouraged his squad. “It wasn’t like we were doing something wrong. We had a lot of open shots that just weren’t falling.” he noted while referring to Emman Monfort’s four missed attempts from three-point country.
Ateneo regained the lead at the resumption of hostilities and held a three-point lead 60-57 with under six minutes to play in the fourth when Lingganay sought to reprise his fireman’s role. He drove the lane from the right baseline and found three Blue Eagles in front of him. The long-limbed Ateneo captain Nonoy Baclao batted away Lingganay’s drop pass that Monfort quickly picked up for the quick counter. He found Reyes straddling the arc and bang… “Jai Reyes three points!” thundered game barker Rolly Manlapaz.
The nephew of former King Eagle Jun Reyes, who led Ateneo to back-to-back crowns in 1987 & 1988, would hit another trey – this time from the left side – as his side, now with a 66-59 lead, threatened to go up again by double digits.
Kirk Long, who had the unenviable task of shadowing UE’s dangerous scorer Paul Lee, hit a third consecutive triple at the buzzer while falling out of bounds. 69-61 Ateneo.
But UE showed that they belonged on college basketball’s grandest stage by refusing to wilt when Lee hit a three-ball and two free throws to cut the defending champs’ lead down to 69-66.
After a missed Ateneo shot, the tension in the old hoop house was so palpable as UE’s mounted their next offensive. A three-pointer would tie the game while a twinner would bring them a point close. Whichever it was, the Red Warriors needed a bucket to keep their momentum going while the Blue Eagles needed a stop.
Lee, in his breakout season, had already carved out his name as a big time clutch player who could score almost at will while throwing up the most incredible shots. He was the heir to UE’s long line of pistoleros from Rudy Distrito to Allan Caidic to Verni Villarias to James Yap. And in winning time, he wanted to ball in his hands.
Storm breaker
Whether by design or because of a switch, Ryan Buenafe found himself guarding Lee, his former teammate at San Sebastian, on the left side of the arc. Buenafe who was a noted scorer and a go-to guy in his high school days had reinvented himself into a playmaker for the team’s second unit while playing superb defense on his man. In a move that called to mind Rich Alvarez putting the clamps on La Salle’s Mike Cortez in a crucial stretch with the championship on the line in 2002, Buenafe was on the ball once more.
Lee, adjudged the tournament’s Most Improved Player, began his crossover move to drive towards the lane when Buenafe poked the ball away and began a slow break as he waited for friendlies to fill the lane.
Al-Hussaini, who was in the midst of one of his best performances of the season (he finished with 28 points, 14 boards, 2 assists, and zero turnovers), ran trailer and UE made the mistake of not denying Ateneo’s big man the lane as it was obvious that Buenafe was going to pass. Al-Hussaini scored with a nifty jump hook and Ateneo had some breathing room 73-68 with 1:39 left.
Lee would not score again and his final act on the court for Game 1 was to foul Buenafe whose split charities pegged the final score at 78-71.
Earlier in the game, UE chose to play straight up man-to-man but switched to a zone when Ateneo raced to a 17-point lead. The Blue Eagles sorely needed their outside threats to connect to tear UE’s defense to shreds. And when they finally did, not only did they fail to control Reyes from firing away for 5-6 shooting from beyond the arc, but they could not handle Al-Hussaini who was simply superb as he scored on a variety of drives, hook shots, feathery jumpers, and long toms.
“Man,” exclaimed Black as he dropped his 6’6” frame onto the chair for the post-game interview. “That was some game.” And he went on to extol not only his players’ fighting hearts and willingness to block out their concerns stemming from Typhoon Ondoy but also their vanquished opponents who played just as well.
Outside the media room, Lawrence Chongson, the Red Warriors’ rookie coach who debunked basketball analysts’ pre-season prognosis of his side possibly missing the Final Four, was almost inconsolable. “Sayang,” he muttered in succession to anyone within earshot. “We didn’t come here to give them (Ateneo) a challenge. We came here to win.”
Someone patted him on the back and commented on the marvelous job he’s done for steering UE back to the Finals in his first year with the squad. “Bro,” he politely rebutted. “Our backs are against the wall but there is still a Game Two. We will be back.”
Inside, Jai Reyes explained his ordeal at the height of the flooding and said that there was no use in living in the past. “I thought that despite what happened (his family being trapped on the second floor of their home) we are still lucky to be alive. Ganyan ang buhay. We must all move on. I had a job to do. And it’s a good thing I was able to help my team win.”
After the game, all anyone could talk about was Reyes’ big time shooting, Al-Hussaini’s strong play, and going for the sweep and the championship over the weekend.
Ateneo 78 – Al-Hussaini 28, Reyes 17, Salva 8, Buenafe 7, Austria 6, Salamat 4, Long 3, Baclao 3, Chua 2, Sumalinog 0, Monfort 0
UE 71 – Lee 15, Llagas 13, Acuña 13, Reyes 11, Lingganay 9, Espiritu 8, Acibar 2, Zamar 0, Bandaying 0
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