Chiller
Ateneo 68 vs. UE 88
by rick olivares
From a team of destiny to a team ready to write its own storybook ending, the script of the UAAP Season 72 Finals has taken on an exciting (although for some it’s an excruciating) plot twist. The UE Red Warriors delivered Ateneo its worst loss in three seasons to send the title series to a deciding match. They have sent a message that they are here as serious challengers and not mere foils. And now… it’s gut check time.
After the University of the East Red Warriors lost Game One of the UAAP Men’s Basketball Finals for Season 72, its head coach, Lawrence Chongson sat in front of some two dozen people to explain the loss. He spoke in glowing terms of Ateneo’s better shooting percentage and their buzzer beating shots of which they had several. He paid tribute to Jai Reyes and Rabeh Al-Hussaini who were a handful for his squad. “We’re better than this. Believe me,” promised the rookie mentor for the title-starved school.
After Game Two, it was his team that indeed turned the tables on the defending champs and put the bubbly on ice. The Warriors shot a blistering 52% from the field including a buzzer beater by Val Acuña that put the score at 82-65. “Today was a reversal of roles for us. Like I said, we came here to win not to challenge them,” said Chongson who has been impressing people with his taking the previously lightly regarded Warriors to a game away from a 24-year championship drought. “I told them that if we don’t show up then wala na tayong gagawin bukas.”
Forward-centers Elmer Espiritu and Pari Llagas said that the proof of their coach’s chops is in the pudding. “Siya nagbibigay ng kumpiyansa,” was Espiritu’s stamp of approval.
“I told them that you see a lot of former UE players playing in the PBA. If you win, you’ll have one thing that they do not have – a championship. And you will become immortals,” encouraged Chongson who was so jacked up by leading UE to its first finals win since Allan Caidic upended Pido Jarencio’s UST Glowing Goldies for the 1985 crown.
Over at the Ateneo side, team officials were trying to temper the giddiness the team felt about closing out the series. They had a good practice the day before and were incredibly loose prior to Game Two. “We still have a game to play,” reminded team manager Paolo Trillo to the troops.
Except that they were up against a foe with no pressure at all. “Alam namin kaya naman silang talunin,” disclosed Llagas. “Kaya nag-promise kami na lalaban kami at hindi namin ibibigay ‘to ng basta basta.”
The one thing that Norman Black promised for Sunday – Eric Salamat showing up – did not materialize. The newly crowned Maasahan Player of the Game played 22 minutes but put up only four points on the board although he did chalk up 5 assists and had 1 rebound. His absence especially during the game’s crucial stretch was telling.
While UE’s 2-3 zone was gave the Blue Eagles problems, it was more of their passiveness on offense and on the boards that eventually did them in. The Warriors hauled down 41 caroms to Ateneo’s 33. And they made Ateneo pay dearly for their slowness by putting back baskets for 11 points. And UE’s much-maligned bench held its own against the Blue Eagles while shutting down Nico Salva and Ryan Buenafe.
After Justin Chua picked up his second and-one on Pari Llagas, Black dispatched Rabeh Al-Hussaini back to the fray. “This is your game. C’mon!” exhorted the coach. Although the slotman, who picked up his second Mythical Five Selection in his college career during the pre-game awarding ceremony, scored 18 points on top of 17 rebounds, his frustration at over perceived non-calls and fouls got the best of him.
During one crucial possession down the stretch, Al-Hussaini pulled down a defensive board and glared at the referee over a non-call. Distracted and festering in his anger, UE guard Lucas Tagarda emerged from the blind side and ripped the ball away from the Atenean’s hands. On the reset, Espiritu scored on a bucket to make it 71-56 with 6:44 left in the 4th period and that was pretty much the story – outplayed and outhustled.
With the Ateneo shooters misfiring for an atrocious 7-34 three-point shooting (20.6%), breaking UE’s zone was an adventure as Al-Hussaini was double or triple teamed once the rock went down low.
Chongson had his tall men shoot from the outside and that drew out Ateneo’s bigs. And the more athletic Red Warrior guards crashed the boards. And the discrepancy was obvious as Rudy Lingganay and Raphy Reyes pulled down 13 boards to the 3 of Ateneo’s starting tandem of Jai Reyes and Salamat.
And the result was an ugly 88-68 loss for Ateneo that sent the series to a deciding match on Thursday.
There was to be no rally against the Red Warriors such as in 1987 when they marched back from 20-points down late in the third quarter. Instead they were dealt the worst loss in the Norman Black era in Ateneo (the previous low was an 18-point loss to La Salle in July 10, 2005, the American coach’s first ever game for the blue and white).
When Chongson spoke of his team’s freewheeling offense versus Ateneo’s disciplined approach, he mentioned that both systems have their pros and cons. “We knew that more than shoot, they were going to pass,” he said. “As for us, we’re going to shoot. As long as someone is free – tira na. That’s our style of basketball.”
After the game, the Blue Eagles spent quite some time in their dugout talking about the disheartening loss. Black, looking very concerned and a little spent, said he’d watch the game tape that night and figure it out how to get back on track. “I’m going to worry first about my team.”
There were no promises afterwards.
UE 88 – Espiritu 22, Llagas 19, Lee 13, Acuña 12, Lingganay 7, Reyes 6, Zamar 5, Duran 4, Tagarda 0, Bandaying 0
Ateneo 68 – Al-Hussaini 18, Monfort 12, Reyes 11, Baclao 10, Austria 6, Salamat 4, Long 3, Chua 2, Buenafe 2, Sumalinog 0, Salva 0
Notes: The UE Band performed the “War Chant” otherwise known as the “Tomahawk Chop” prior to the game. The chant and music is closely associated with the Florida State University Seminoles varsity teams and professional baseball team the Atlanta Braves. The UAAP signed a five-year contract extension with ABS CBN prior to the start of Game Two.
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