UP sticks it to the champs as Ateneo self-destructs

 What should have been a win turned out to be a painful 81-74 loss for Ateneo. 

 

Give credit to UP for not giving up.

 

As for Ateneo.

 

There is a litany of bad play that can be summed up in three words – outplayed, outhustled, and outcoached. Out-everything'd if there is such a word. 

 

The Blue Eagles played like rookies while the Fighting Maroons played like veterans. UP guarded the pick and roll well and rotated out quickly. They made Ateneo pay for packing in the lane – and I don’t know why they do this (is it to protect Angelo Kouame from foul trouble). 

 

The bad signs were there early on when BJ Andrade gave up two quick boners that allowed UP into the game.

 

Even worse, SJ Belangel was mostly invisible. Yes, he scored 17 points but he was invisible when the game counted.

 

Whatever Ateneo was doing to opposing point guards early in the tournament they were given a dose of in this game. SJ Belangel couldn’t get the ball. Tyler Tio was unable to get any daylight to shoot and he reverted to his old self of dribbling away the clock with nothing happening. 

 

Then Gio Chiu came in an UP got back into the game. Gio plays well against smaller players but against taller players. I do not know why they use him as a press breaker when he has bad hands and turns the ball over at the first sign of trouble. 

 

Dave Ildefonso clearly was a rookie in his first finals. He had no confidence going inside the basket and was oft indecisive and turn over prone. Having him and Chiu on the floor was hurting the team big time. And Chiu, not being able to spell Angelo is hurting the team. He cannot grab a rebound even if his life depended on it. 

 

And Angelo Kouame. I have no idea why he needs to put the ball on the floor. I have no idea why he cannot dunk the ball in traffic. This is what happens when they are asked to rebound and kick the ball out. Take the goddam ball to the rack. Have we been watching too many Golden State Warriors highlights?

 

In spite of their bad play, the Blue Eagles had a chance to win it when they posted a 12-point lead. But a bad one-footed shot by SJ, Chiu bottling it and some ticky tacky fouls saw UP gain life.

 

And this is the worst free throw shooting Ateneo team I have ever seen. The worst. At times, Ateneo is its own worst enemy. How about those last two plays in regulation? 

 

I question the defense out in the perimeter. Why are you staying on the side so that you can wait for the help defense then trap? Maybe closer to the basket, yes, but not too far out. SJ got killed by this. 

 

UP has figured out Ateneo. Someone like Ricci Rivero drives to the basket, bowls over players like ten pins then kicks the ball out to an open shooter. You can complain about lapses in officiating but sorry… that will not change the game. As the game wore on, the Blue Eagles shrunk from the challenge. No one wanted the ball. WTF, right?

 

The last team to make Ateneo shrink this way was FEU. 

 

You know how bad this was when you cannot get the once vaunted bench out because they do not have the height to deal with UP’s frontline. Yes, we’re good enough to play the FEUs and Adamsons of this world but struggle with tall athletic frontlines. Imagine if La Salle’s Bright Nwanko and Ben Phillips played well. 

 

UP has shown the rest of the league how to beat Ateneo. Field tall and athletic players who will swarm Angelo. 

 

Now, UP is poised to end their title-less streak and end Ateneo’s championship run. And how many came away thinking this one will be all over come Wednesday?