Going Down to Liverpool

For almost as long as I can remember, I was a fan of the New York Cosmos and Liverpool FC. I may root now for Real Madrid and Chelsea, but the one constant in my football dreams is Liverpool. If you think that I became a fan of LFC's because of the Beatles then that's false. The Fab Four rooted for Everton if I recall correctly.

I became a fan with Kenny Dalglish and then that great attacking line of John Barnes (yeah!), John Aldridge, and Ian Rush.

In the pantheon of great sports documentaries, No Heart As Big, the story of 2001-02 season is inspiring, well-directed, and has a great soundtrack to go with the excellent photography and cinematography. The Reds have not won an English title in 18 long years (despite their historic Treble the previous year) and during that ill-fated season when they lost manager Gerard Houllier (heart surgery) and defender Markus Babbel (a virus that knocked him out for a whole season). The season is recounted as the team prepared for the following season as they went to training camp in the lush and beautiful Bad Ragaz in Switzerland.

No Heart as Big was filmed after their historic Treble of 2000-01 when scored an FA Cup Final victory against Arsenal, overcame Alaves 5-4 in the UEFA Cup and the Worthington Cup.

Liverpool is the only team to complete two trebles (including the 1983-84 season where they won the League, the League Cup and the European Cup). and before their stirring Champions League and Super Cup victories of 2005. The Reds are have won more trophies than any other English club.

But No Heart as Big is right up their with the New York Yankees' 2001 season when they made the World Series after that modern-day of infamy in 9-11.

And they beat Aston Villa 2-1 in a road game for the first match of the season. next up --- Chelsea!





You Never Walk Alone!

Trading Places

Remember that Eddie Murphy movie of that title? Well, the NBA's got its own version of that. check this out:


Meet the Minnesota Celtics!







That's seven ex-Celts in the twin cities. There would have been nine but two of them --Justin Reed and Marcus banks are no longer with the team. That's Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Bassy Telfair, Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, and Ryan Gomes who will be donning the Wolves' jersey this season. Well, if this season doesn't work for Boston, there might be room for Danny Ainge as the team's coach.

And now, if only Reggie Miller will exchange his suit for Celtic green....

Chatting with Nike's Mae Dichupa and My Game Director Carlo Ledesma at Mezze in Greenbelt 3

Without Honor. Without Remorse.

from my Bleachers' Brew column in the August 6, 2007 issue of the Business Mirror.

by rick olivares

Tim Donaghy. Dog-fighting. Steroids. Barry Bonds. Floyd Landis. Suspensions. Protests. Game fixing. Misappropriated funds. Ill-timed technical fouls.

These are the four-letter words of the day. The sports section has begun to resemble the front page with all its gloom and doom to the point of even surpassing athletic achievements. We may have crashed out of the Olympic Qualifiers but hey -- we beat China (now don’t give me that it’s only their Team B because who the holy heck asked them to field their developmental team in the first place)! Thank God the bad news hasn’t gotten to the point where someone was intentionally hurt or even murdered.

Er, looks like I spoke too soon. According to the NBI report on the game-rigging incident by a College of Saint Benilde cager, point guard Paolo Orbeta, the accused in the case, along with some cohorts, threatened to physically hurt a person they enjoined to bet on a game after he refused to pay up. Now what’s this kid doing betting hundreds of thousands of pesos on basketball games and consorting with crooked cops and unsavory characters?

And this is collegiate sports we’re talking about.

Cheating in sports has been something almost as old as the time when athletic competition was first held. Although a myth, the story of Pelops eventually evolved into the founding matter for the Olympics. As the story goes, Pelops had to race against King Oenomaus in order to win the hand of his daughter, Hippodamia. If Pelops lost, Oenomaus would have his head in exchange. The challenger sought the help of Myrtilus, the King’s charioteer, in rigging the linchpins that held the royal chariot together. In return for his help, Pelops promised the chariot driver that he would be given the chance to bed the King’s daughter before himself. During the race, just when Oenomaus was about to catch up, the chariot broke apart and the King was dragged to his death by the horses. But as the saying goes, cheaters never win; Myrtilus who was killed by Pelops after he forced himself on Hippodamia after the match, cursed Pelops and his family was eventually torn asunder.

Should we be thankful that at least today we haven’t gotten that bloodthirsty?

That’s like saying that we should all be glad that the reports of the Philippines being the most corrupt country in Asia are false. It turns out that we’re not that corrupt – we just ranked somewhere below.

I’ve done my time marching in the streets, guarding the Batasan Pambansa against the smuggling in of ballot boxes, signing up for NAMFREL, delivering relief goods to disaster-stricken areas, and… writing letters to the editor. I used to be so nationalistic but that has been bled out of me just like these people in power who have made away – and continue to do so -- with the people’s money.

With all the unresolved cases in the Ombudsman’s office and wherever, people in the lower levels look to the slow grind of justice as a sign that says, “Hey, if they can get away with it, so can we.” Hence, this college sports’ current mess and this quote that defies the imagination.

“We want the truth to come out.”

That’s what a college coach said when asked to explain his take on Ateneo’s recent foreign player gaffe. Say it isn’t so, coach?

Not after the deafening silence that followed your school’s suspension. Whatever the hell happened to that? Did anything change? Were the real culprits caught? If that is so, why was a person named by your school as the one who perpetuated the papers-fixing scandal sitting behind your bench in their game against Ateneo? Are there too many external forces preventing a full-blown investigation? Why is it that your alumni are split into two over the “win at all costs” dictum? You should have shown the same fervor in trying to sift through the BS of the Pep Test Scandal as you all did in dissecting a foot and two foreign players inside the court. That’s a molehill compared to your mountain.

This is what college sports has come down to -- a morass of commercialism where the game is slightly delayed by television timeouts and ads infinitum. Where the officiating is terrible and even downright suspicious. Where recruitment has become an arms race (that when the players don’t win a championship, their scholarships are taken back and they’re sent home never to be heard from again). Where rules are bended or midnight laws passed to suit a few. Where professionals are masked as students and are enrolled in bogus courses.

Jack Nicholson, while playing that force of nature of a Marine in A Few Good Men’s Col. Nathan Jessep, blurted the immortal line: “You can’t handle the truth.”

You bet. Neither can sports officials nor school administrators. But we cannot single out say, the UAAP for that. You think PCU learned from La Salle’s suspension? No way, Jose. But the funny thing there is despite reports that there were also infractions in the school’s senior ranks, the Board chose to concentrate on investigating the high school teams. Why? Because the truth is so ugly that it goes a long long way and will implicate a lot more? Is it to prevent the expulsion of the school from the NCAA?

I remember one neighbor saying that it was all right for our mayor to steal money because he’s doing a lot of good things for our city anyway. With that kind of logic, we deserve all the crap that our country gets. It is infertile minds like these who vote thieves into public office and tolerate the sickness that infects and afflicts us.

And in a nutshell, college sports boils down to these basic rules:
1) It’s not cheating if you don’t get caught.
2) When caught, deny anything and everything.
3) Ask your alumni who are in media to spin their damage control. If the editor of the major broadsheet is an alumnus, that’s even better when it comes to public disinformation and insinuations.
4) Win at all costs, but when it comes to money, stiff them when you get the chance.

Whoopee.

Tigerland

Tigerland - UAAP Game 7 Ateneo 74 vs UST 87
Round One UAAP Season 70
by Rick Olivares

August 4, 2007
Cuneta Astrodome, Manila




photo by Miggy Mendoza

Stick and jab. Stick and jab. Like two boxers who knew each other so well, the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UST Growling Tigers circled around each other for three quarters. They’d get their licks in and then take some.

The two teams who waged a battle for the ages last year’s basketball crown weren’t seeded to win this year. That’s fine. Walk small but carry a big stick. There’s less pressure anyway. And for the Blue Eagles and the Growling Tigers, they picked up from where they left off in Game Three of last year… intense, give no quarter hoops.

That is until one incandescent eight-minute scoring spree by the defending champs who served notice to UE, DLSU, or any other school, that the road to the Season 70 crown will have to go through Espana.

Chris Tiu doesn’t like the Cuneta Astrodome. If they never have to play in there again that suits him just fine. Maybe it’s mental, but for now, the rims are unfriendly. But he knows that’s no excuse. Tirelessly guarded by the much taller Dylan Ababou and Khasim Mirza all afternoon, the Blue Eagles’ skipper once more struggled from the field making only 3 of 12 shots. With Jai Reyes likewise manacled and Ford Arao and Rabah Al-Husseini in foul trouble, it was up to the unlikely quartet of Eric Salamat, Zion Laterre, Jobe Nkemakolam, and Nonoy Baclao to carry the fight to UST.

Eric Salamat had his best game of the year as he scored a team high 15 points mostly on a series of gutsy drives to the basket. Nonoy Baclao tried his best to battle UST center Jervy Cruz inside the paint. In his best all-around performance so far, Baclao finished with 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. Jobe Nkemakolam finally broke into double-digit scoring with 10 markers but only 5 boards; three less than his average. Team Co-Captain Zion Laterre, free of the back spasms that have plagued him lately, was his usual jumping jack self. The Australian, who is in his final playing year, scored a personal best 13 points while pulling down 11 boards and rejecting a couple of errant UST shots. On his way to the dugout after the game, a dejected Laterre said he’d gladly trade all those stats for a W.

Now at 4-3 to close its first round campaign, that jarring loss to FEU has now come back to haunt Ateneo. Depending on the results of the final playing day of the first half of the season, the Blue Eagles will probably finish fourth. With UST rejuvenated and FEU rediscovering its winning ways, the scramble is on for the second seed given UE’s hitherto unblemished slate.

UST’s game plan was nothing different from last year’s. They didn’t need to be possessed by the spirit of Jojo Duncil to stroke daggers. UST Coach Pido Jarencio threw wave after wave of tall shooting guards and small forwards who could post up or hit the three. Frosh swingman Khasim Mirza, at a wiry 6’5 has been his team’s x-factor this year. Cracking Jarencio’s starting unit, he has caused all sorts of match-up problems against other teams.

And after Eric Salamat put Ateneo on top (for the final time) 63-62 on a lay-up to open the fourth quarter scoring, Mirza hit a three on the other end that opened the floodgates. While the Blue Eagles hit a drought, UST was smoking as they went on an 18-0 run that broke the game wide open.

Tiu, Salamat and Laterre tried to bring Ateneo back by scoring nine points to bring down 72-84 but time had run out on the boys in white. With 35 seconds left, Mirza put an exclamation point to his team’s superb high-energy game when he hit a trey over Tiu.

Salamat would close out the scoring with another lay-up. 74-87.


First half scouting report by author:
UE’s unbeaten slate notwithstanding, the season so far has been every bit as tough as expected. The only surprise being UP’s winless slate. For the Blue Eagles, the team must take heart that they’ve now sized up the competition and there’s time to make adjustments. We have what it takes to compete with everyone. It’s just maximizing the strengths and playing to their full potential while minimizing those ugly and terrible turnovers.

In the previous two years, the Blue Eagles did well during the eliminations only to falter come Final Four time. In some weird way, it’s good the team knows that a lot has to be worked out. Maybe this time it will serve us well when the games and the W’s matter.

The opposition’s gameplan has been very simple so far – stop Chris Tiu and let the untried players with not much big time college hoops experience under their belt beat them. The team plays a down-tempo game anchored on the guards’ ability to break down the defense. It’s time to get our slashers like Ken Barracoso, Kirk Long, Eric Salamat, and Zion Laterre to take the fight to the inside and to ease the load on Tiu. If the offense is decentralized and the opponents don’t key in on Tiu, then that’s when he’s going to burn them. It’s hard watching the offense grind to a halt as the forwards go out to set picks. I’m sure they’re supposed to slide in but that doesn’t always mean they’ll get good positioning for a rebound or for a lay-up.

We don’t have the fastest or most mobile low post players so the ball should be whipped around quick so that Ford Arao, Rabah Al-Husseini (who should work better on his defense), and Jobe Nkemakolam would find it easier to plant themselves closer to the basket.

The second round is around the corner. And if the first seven games were hotly contested then the final seven will surely be trench warfare.

Prognosis: Same as during my pre-season team preview – Final Four. Once they make it there, let’s talk again.

My Game

Watch out for the basketball documentary from Nike titled MY GAME. It will be out this September and it tells of the humble beginnings of players like Ren Ren Ritualo, James Yap, Arwind Santos, Don Don Hontiveros, Rico Maierhoffer, and Jobe Nkemakolam.

The one-hour docu is directed by Carlo Ledesma and produced by Mel Lozano. Very interesting concept. It's in its final stages of shooting and post-production to begin soon. I had a long chat with Direk Carlo this noon and he told me that it was my article on Jobe (Jobe's Ladder that was featured in my Monday column in Business Mirror) that landed the Blue Eagle his part. I'll re-post that story.

Carlo kidded Jobe, "You owe your part to Rick." Hahaha. Nah. It's all the big guy. He deserves all the luck. If anything, my reward is that the column or even the stories or commentary within affect people in a positive way.

And here are some stills from the film. Enjoy!

Blue Eaglets complete Ateneo sweep of Archers in 1st Round

The Ateneo Blue Eaglets survived an endgame rally by the De La Salle Zobel Junior Archers after spotting them a 20-point lead at the half. The final score was 78-72 but it only got close in the final three minutes as a series of miscues, poor leadership on and off the floor, and the lack of big men to rebound that enabled DLSZ to come back.

What got Ateneo that huge lead was aggressive play, good rebounding, and suffocating defense on La Salle. By the second half, the oppressive heat inside the FEU Gym started to take its toll as several players notably Juami Tiongson, Ivan Enriquez, and Frank Golla who went down due to cramps. On the La Salle side, Bryan Manguera came crashing down when his legs stiffened up while attempting a lay-up while voluminous center Colin Buckley was clearly tuckered out in the final quarter.

By the second half, the team play got lost as players began to go one-on-one and commit horrendous and bone-headed turnovers.

Did we beat them? Yes we did. But if the team didn’t erect that 20-point lead then they would have probably lost in the endgame.

Ael Banal may have hit a huge trey to cushion the Archers’ rally, but he should learn how to take that ball in rather than bomb away from the outside. At the point when the Archers came back, Ice Reyes was on the bench. Can’t win without that slashing forward, team. But if you ask me who saved the day – JV Dumrique and Al Bugarin before he fouled out.

Kiefer Ravena – I spoke with his dad, Bong, who is an old friend and neighbor – and congratulated him. Hey, Bong. Nice to see you in blue. It looks way better than red! Kiefer stopped two fastbreaks by his lonesome. Great instincts this kid and he’s only a frosh.

Jayvee Dumrique… when he didn’t have his legs anymore, that mid-range fall away that hit all net was a great shot as any. Follow through and a nice backspin helped that ball in.

If anyone from the UAAP stats group is reading this, you gotta get this right. Ivan Enriquez scored a deuce. There are no points to his credit in the stat sheet.

For the Blue Eaglets
Al Bugarin - 18 points + 16 ribbies w/9 offensive boards
Juami Tiongson - 16 points and 4 dime drops
Jayvee Dumrique - 14 points
Ael Banal - 11 points

For the Junior Archers
Colin Buckley - 13 points + 6 rebounds
Miguel Okubo - 12 points and 7 boards
David Webb - 10 points and 8 caroms
Marco Fortuna -10 points

How do I feel about KG going to the Celtics?

There are some things I'm so old school about.



I grew up thinking that a player should finish out his career with one team. Think Larry Bird and Kevin McHale for Boston and Julius Erving for Philadelphia (yeah I know he was in the ABA). There was Willis Reed for the Knicks, Magic Johnson and Big Game James for the Lake Show. Dino Radja for Boston too. Yeah, yeah, he only lasted for a few seasons.

But you now, it's a business. And just like your former job that was already beginning to suck, it's only natural. If Allen Iverson, who I figured to be a Sixer for life, can move then so can anyone. And I left too. Hahahaha. Talk about being cryptic.

I was distressed that Michael Jordan chose to foolishly come out of retirement thinking he could reprise his magic during his Second Coming. He ended his career with the Bulls with a flyer for his basketball camp that read: Some things never change. The visual showed him hitting the jumpshot against G-Town and the last one against Utah. Well, karma's a bitch coz it's now getting cut at Laney and getting the boot at Washington.

KG.... damn, the Timberwolves sucked. I guess the one time they were good was when they had Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell. Yeah he should have been a Timberwolf for life but there wasn't light at the end of the tunnel there.

I feel happy he moved Eastward (but boo hoo it's not to the Bulls), but it's nice to see him in Boston. Now let's hope that he doesn't end up like Dominique Wilkins or Xavier MacDaniel when they put on the green and white.

But man, to see KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen -- Mr. Jesus Shuttlesworth himself -- man, Red Auerbach must be tripping billies whatever the hell that means. And if all three make the All-Star team. Man, banner week for Boston, huh. First the Red Sox get Eric Gagne and now KG to the Celts.

Mighty interesting off-season this is shaping out to be.

Man United will be singing the Blues

Roman Abramovich kinda held on to his expenses but the pick-up of Florent Malouda from Olympique Lyonnaise was huge. And to think they still have Michael Essien, Frank Lampard, and Michael Ballack.

With the Blues healthy, methinks they'll upend Manchester United for the Premiership.
















Picture: That's Malouda, Didier Drogba, John Terry, Joe Cole, and Andriy Shevchenko celebrating JT's goal against David Beckham's LA Galaxy.

The Boys from Brasil

Ever think about going to Ipanema, Rio De Janeiro, or even to see Christ the Redeemer?

Now's the time to save since Brasil might get the opportunity to host the 2012 FIFA World Cup. The CBF has enlisted the help of Selecao member Romario and writer Paolo Coelho make their pitch.

World Cup football to come to the Land of Pele? Hoo-hah!



Ronaldo gets red carded by Homer Simpson. Doh!

From Da Kid to Da Man

The luck of the Irish is back in Boston!

The three-leaf clover on the Boston Celtics' leprechaun may finally bring good luck to this downtrodden and once proud franchise.

Three leafs = three All-Stars in Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. Doc Rivers must be doing the jig.


Garnett's addition kills the youth movement perpetuated by Danny Ainge who many had to wonder if all that time in Phoenix diluted his green blood as he killed that great team he had with Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce.

For that matter, you think Kevin McHale decided to help out his former club and teammate in AInge? Inquiring minds want to know. He ran out KG in Minneapolis. You think Minnesotans will run out McHale? Once a Celtic. Always a Celtic.

But it does add excitement in Beantown and vaults them from the depths of mediocrity to conference contender status.

When was the last time a player of KG's caliber created seismic reactions upon his transfer to the other conference? I can only think of Shaquille O'Neal's desertion of the Orlando Magic in 1997 and Charles Barkley's move from Philadelphia to Phoenix in 1993.

The shoe is on the other foot now. Garnett's move to the East challenges the theory that many players prefer the warmer confines of the West. While many may infer that a good team on the West can win the Eastern title, that is not necessarily so.

Now there are the Bulls, the Cavs, the Heat, and the Pistons who are all legit title contenders (but they all need some more tinkering with their line-ups if they want to continue their ascent). Can these teams beat the San Antonio Sterns, er Spurs, the Phoenix Suns, or the Dallas Mavericks? Absolutely. The balance of power is shifting.

And the Celtics are in the midst of it. As for Da Kid... he is now ready to be the Man.

Unforgettable

I wrote this for my Bleachers' Brew column in last Monday's issue of the Business Mirror. I wanted to write about the UAAP but told myself to hold on to it for a week more since I'm trying to gather a few things. This however isn't filler material. I wrote a part of it about two months ago and it was based on an essay I did in my first year in college. Baseball, like football, will always be sentimental favorites. With MLB baseball action heating up (more so with Bobby Bonds a dinger away from tying Hank Aaron), the time was right.

o O o

For school kids, there’s probably no better time than summer. And for me, not having my parents’ around for two months as they were on vacation in Europe was even cooler.

It’s not like I held slumber parties at home. Instead, I was a poster child for couch potatoes as I watched the telly ‘til my eyes closed shut. I hung out with my friends as malling, our current national pastime was totally non-existent back then. We also played football and baseball, watched R-rated movies, and yapped about that Japanimation stuff that took the country by storm. Hey, this was before my classmates and I discovered the female of the species.

My “lawlessness” was put to an end when my Lolo Ramon came over from Tarlac to stay with us kids while the folks were gone. If Martial Law was about to be declared then I had another thought coming. What followed was one of the most enjoyable and unforgettable of summers a young boy could ever have.

My classmates and I used to go all the way to a park in Project 6 to play baseball with these guys from San Beda. One day we lost by the score of 12-8 with the game called on account of darkness. I felt bad because I gave the game away as the Bedans teed off on my pitching. Back then, the only thing I knew about pitching was to get it across the plate and hope they didn’t smack the ball into some car window. I knew nothing about off-speed pitches, getting batters to chase high fastballs, or curves that veered out of the way at the last moment.

The day after that loss, I taped a target on an old mattress that I propped against the wall. I pulled my cap down close to my nose then worked my fingers across the seams of the baseball that was snuck in my Rawlings glove. And this was years before I saw Andy Pettite do that in the Major Leagues.

My grandfather watched my unusual practice routine for a few minutes before he pointed out the flaws in my delivery. He corrected my form and my leg kick. I didn’t have a fastball that clocked into the 90’s, but he taught me to get by on guile. I did well enough until I switched to first base later in college.

I stayed up late to catch those wrestling programs that my folks forbade me to watch. Lolo Ramon knew pro wrestling was fake but every bit entertaining. Yet he didn't just acquiesce to what I wanted. I had to earn it whether by cleaning the car, helping wash the plates, or making sure my room was in order. One time, as a reward for my attending to my chores, he took me to watch a PBA game and we sat at courtside never mind if I was the only Toyota fan in the family.

It was golden. It was magical. And it developed in me a life-long love for sports. But at the core of it all was baseball. I inherited my grandfather’s Time and Life magazines that featured the Apollo 11 moon landings, the JFK and RFK assassinations, and… the one with Mickey Mantle on the cover.

Through those pages and my well-thumbed almanac, baseball came alive. I read of the Great Home Run Chase of 1961 and the unfortunate asterisking of Roger Maris’ feat. Incensed at the injustice, I proceeded to write a letter to Life where I batted for Maris let alone that it was like 16 years late. My grandfather laughed and let me finish my diatribe against this “evil.” We went to the post office together and mailed my first ever letter. Doing my bit to save the world, I said to myself.

But the Mick… he is why I wear #7 number on my jersey. And it was even way cool to see that some of my fave athletes wore the same number: Sonny Jaworski, Toni Kukoc, and JC Intal.

I had Bernard Malamud’s The Natural as my bedtime story. I regularly checked the standings and box scores of Major League Baseball in the back pages of Bulletin Today. I saved my allowance to buy Sport magazine at the old PDPI magazine specialty stores. And we followed the rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals. In fact, he taught me to appreciate other teams and their stars as not everything revolved around pinstripes. But all that baseball speak was every bit as enjoyable as a trip down the PX store for a stash of Avengers and Fantastic Four comic books and a banana split on a hot summer day.

During the vacations that followed, I was either in art class, piano lessons, or learning how to swim. I hated swim school because the instructor always threw me inside the pool all the time. It’s not that I couldn’t swim, but I was afraid of the water after watching Jaws (which is kind of weird since it’s not even the ocean). But when those summer lessons were done, I went to Tarlac and Lolo Ramon. We played catch and watched sports on FEN. Sometimes, we went to the old Clark Air Base in Pampanga to watch those F-4 Phantoms take off to those sunny azure skies. While waiting for the planes to zoom by, I’d sit mesmerized as my grandfather recounted those fabled pre-World War II days when the Blue Eagles and the Red Lions battled almost yearly for the NCAA basketball crown.

Summer’s a couple of months over and there’s another Great Home Run Chase. This time, it’s Barry Bonds all set to smash Hank Aaron’s record to smithereens. I may not be excited about Bonds’ historic quest because of accusations of his usage of performance enhancers. Nevertheless, for him to belt more than 755 home runs is still an awesome feat. Whether there’s an asterisk or not, I couldn’t care less. This time of the year with the baseball season 60% done, all I know it’s not complete, as I no longer engage in baseball talk with Lolo Ramon who passed away years ago. There’s no more talk of pennant races and towering home runs.

It was golden. It was magical. It was a little boy and his doting grandfather who imbued in him a passion for all things sports and most specially baseball. And it is most unforgettable.

Witnesses!

Courtside with the Ateneo Sports Shooters. We're all smiles before the game, but after the loss to FEU, we were pissed. Thanks to Miggy Mendoza for this shot.

Clear and Present Danger - UAAP Game 6 Ateneo 64 vs FEU 77

Clear and Present Danger - UAAP Game 6 Ateneo 64 vs FEU 77
Round One UAAP Season 70
by Rick Olivares

July 29, 2007

Araneta Coliseum

Quezon City

We should petition the UAAP Board that after we play La Salle, our next game be a week after. After all, there’s a precedent.

After beating the Green Archers in a highly emotional Final Four series in 2003, the Blue Eagles suffered a serious meltdown against the FEU Tamaraws in the Championship Series. “Naubos” was the best way to describe Ateneo’s collapse that year.

Four years later history poked us in the eye to remind us of our folly --- La Salle is not the UAAP. Every team this Season 70 -- even the University of the Philippines and Adamson despite their being winless – will give us all we can handle. The Far Eastern University Tamaraws may not have name stars but what they have is a championship pedigree.

Opposite directions
Coming into this game, both teams were a man down. Ateneo was without its rookie forward Bacon Austria who is out for 4-6 weeks with a knee injury while FEU was minus JR Gerilla who was thrown off the team for disciplinary reasons.

Ateneo was still hung-over from that rousing victory over their archrival while FEU, although coming off a win versus hapless Adamson, was trying to break its annoying habit of alternating between a win and a loss.

In the game against DLSU, the Blues and Whites were all business-like from the round robin all the way to the final buzzer. Against its Morayta rival… as they jogged out onto the Araneta Coliseum floor, they were joking, laughing, and incredibly loose.

We were ripe for the picking.

FEU is two years removed from their last superstar player in Arwind Santos. But the incredible thing about this team is how they continue to roll out a factory line of long-limbed athletic players with a penchant for ripping the cords of the net.

Despite a 6-0 lead (courtesy of some great plays by Ford Arao) to start the game, Ateneo’s offense seemed out of sorts. Unfocused and sloppy come to mind. After FEU guard Mark Barroca picked up his second foul, instead of collapsing, Tamaraws coach Glenn Capacio sent in the much taller Marlon Adolfo and Paul Sanga whose size and ability to double team and recover wreaked serious havoc on the Blue Eagles’ offense.

What was ironic about this is that we handled the press of UE and DLSU pretty well, but against FEU, it seemed as if it was a new defensive wrinkle that was thrown at us.

The Long-awaited hero
The Long family has made the Philippines their home for 16 years now and Jeff Long was extremely happy that his son, Kirk, chose to stay rather than go back to the United States for college.

“I’m glad that he stayed,” said Mr. Long, who works with orphanages and street children, sat courtside with his brother and cheered the team on. “It’s only been a few months but it’s a great experience. Kirk’s with a fantastic school, has a great coach, and is part of an exciting and very good team.”

“You’ve only seen glimpses of Kirk’s game. Wait ‘til he gets going.”

Making his second straight start, the frosh out of Faith Academy in Antipolo, Rizal, played another 27 quality minutes while chipping in 10 points and a team high 5 assists.

A lethargic first half and a frightening propensity to lapse into a series of turnovers prevented the Blue Eagles from finding any rhythm. As a result, the team was down 39-27 at the half. But the Ateneo crowd sprang to life at the start of the third quarter to provide the beat as Long and Chris Tiu rode the show of support to bring the Blue Eagles back into the game.

The American has showed a knack for finding the creases in the Tamaraws nearly airtight defense for an and-one, a twisting lay-up and some nifty dimes to the Ateneo bigs. "I really want to help the team win," said Long after the game. "I'd rather we pick up the W."

The tale of the tape
Skipper Tiu on the other hand rebounded from a poor 25% shooting from the field in the first half for a four-point play and three other huge treys during Ateneo’s rally after the resumption of hostilities.

With the turnovers piling up and an inability to convert from close range, the closest the Blue Eagles would get was five points down at 46-51 after Arao (7 points and 3 rebounds in 18 minutes) split his freebies.

The clear and present danger to Ateneo’s title aspirations lies in its ability to rule the boards and to limit its turnovers. We won the rebounding battle 43-31 but we finished with a season worst 23 errors that FEU exploited for 30 huge and painful points. The Blue Eagles have averaged 18.8 TO’s per outing and for this match, they nearly reached their quota after only 20 minutes of action with a crippling 12 that led to the early deficit.

The start of the fourth quarter saw the boys of the green and gold hike their lead to double digits once more as they survived one last barrage from Long, Tiu (18 points and 5 caroms), and Eric Salamat (9 points and 2 boards).

Jai Reyes who stood so marvelously tall against the big men of La Salle found his guns silent and shooting way off against the Tamaraws. After his final trey attempt misfired – the summary of an atrocious game by Ateneo, FEU’s Capacio was visibly elated, “Pwede namin gamitin ito na pang build ng confidence. Siguro lang nahuli namin ang Ateneo na masama yung araw.”

“Aaahhh, nakakainis,” mumbled Blue Eagle forward Jobe Nkemakolam as a glum and disappointed Ateneo team quickly made its way to the dugout. “Bawi tayo next game.”

“Naubos yung intensity sa La Salle,” agreed one table official after the game. But that’s not the only bit of history repeating itself.

If you were paying close attention, FEU did exactly what UST did in last year’s Finals… and that was to torch us from the outside. Even their bigs got into the act.

And look who’s on deck. It’s the Growling Tigers.


Epilogue
It might be nothing but coincidence, but when FEU last beat us in 2003, they had an Ateneo connection. Forget Anton Montinola’s blue blood for a moment and consider RJ Rizada’s roots in the southern Ateneo schools.

And this year, it’s a bit of an unusual source. First of all there’s rookie point guard Jens Knuttel who also went to a Jesuit school before transferring to FEU-FERN. He also played in the last Ateneo Basketball League (ABL). And if you went to the Ateneo De Manila in the 1980’s to the mid-90’s you probably might have known the security guard who was assigned to the campus’ Gate 3. Guard Bong Adolfo had an amiable smile and a ready helping hand for students. And yes, Tamaraws forward Marlon is his son.

Only Wanna Be With You

Went to bed at 130am reading Deathly Hallows. Someone asked why I'm not done. Chuckled and said that it's like a good steak dinner. You want to savor it.

Got up at 530am -- I've been getting up at this time for almost everyday of my life since 3rd year high when I had COCC training -- and hit the PLAY button on my itunes. What do you know, it's Hootie and the Blowfish's "Only Wanna Be With You."

And it's only one of the best songs/sports-music videos by my fave one-album wonders. But hey, I loved their contributions to the soundtrack of Friends, Me, Myself and Irene plus Encomium, the Led Zeppelin tribute album.

Don't you just dig the Sportscenter cameo with my two fave all-time anchors, Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick. And man... Dan Marino! Hoo-hah!

En fuego!

Titanic - UAAP Game 5 Ateneo 80 vs DLSU 77

http://www.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=120&type=2&sec=27&aid=3877

Titanic - UAAP Game 5 Ateneo 80 vs DLSU 77
Round One UAAP Season 70
by Rick Olivares

July 26, 2007
Araneta Coliseum
Quezon City

The teardrop explodes
PJ Walsham had been talking all game long. In Ateneo’s first possession of the game, he blocked a tentative undergoal stab by Jobe Nkemakolam. Walsham hurled a few choice words the Blue Eagle forward’s way while wagging his finger; an infuriating form of trash talking co-opted from NBA great Dikembe Mutombo.

After another Blue Eagle miss that the fifth year La Sallian center corralled, he was ready to be booked for his own talk show.

But with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, the diminutive Jai Reyes floated a teardrop over Walsham, his third such shot over the hulking La Salle center to pad Ateneo’s lead to nine 53-44. Reyes flashed a wide grin. Why trash talk when you could kill them with a smile and an almost unblockable shot?

Mythology 101
The rivalry is of mythical proportions. Much has been written and said about Ateneo versus La Salle over the years. Or vice versa. How you can throw the stats out of the window when they play. How traffic is at a standstill. How you can virtually launch a coup since government leaders and the captains of the industry can be found under the roof of the Araneta Coliseum whose owners and heirs are also split down the lines of blue and green.

It’s David (Ateneo) versus Goliath (La Salle). The pre-game odds may have been of biblical reference, but it’s kin to mythology nevertheless.

The Green Machine was derailed last week by the title-hungry UE Red Warriors. So to get them in the mood for fried chickens – as La Sallians once taunted the Ateneans of yesteryear – they went film viewing.

They watched Frank Miller’s 300 to get themselves in a righteous mood – no mercy. They were the gallant Spartans while we were the… Persians?

If they did watch the movie, they would have known that Leonidas’ gallant 300 fell at Thermopylae. Although it was a loss, it led to the Greeks’ ultimate victories at Salamis and Plataea. And the name Ateneo is derived from the Greek goddess Athena.

Whatever. The Blue Eagles on the other hand weren’t overly concerned with such tactics or Walsham’s histrionics. It’s basketball plain and simple. And all they wanted was a win to move up to solo second place. They practiced on beating the press and made adjustments so they wouldn’t be beaten off the boards once more.

Slaying the beast
Heading into this game, people wondered how the Blue Eagles would handle La Salle’s press and if they could stand up to the physical game that the Green Archers love to play. “It’s mental,” dryly said Franz Pumaren.

In case no one from the green side has been taking notes; these are the new jack Blue Eagles who pride themselves with their being mentally tough. If people think that last year’s showing by Ateneo is a fluke… check the stats. They've been winning close games, overtime matches (we’re now 2-0 in extra time), and blowouts. Even the one loss to UE was clearly winnable.

So even when the Green Archers’ jumping jack forward Rico Maierhofer was trying to goad Ford Arao into a fight, the Blue Eagles just pushed Arao out of the way. After Maierhofer made good on his freebies to bring La Salle closer at 71-69 Ateneo, Arao returned the favor by scoring on Walsham for a deuce and adding one free throw the next trip down the floor.

As it is with every meeting between the two, the basic strategem for Ateneo is to handle the pressure. The first few minutes of the game are crucial. If you prevent the Green Archers from going on a scoring spree and if you break their dreaded press, then it’s all going to boil down to a battle of nerves.

But first of all, Ateneo had to beat the press.

There were a few unnerving moments in the first quarter that saw La Salle feeding of miscues that fuel their fastbreak. But Ateneo stayed within reach and were down only by four 19-15 after 10 minutes of hostilities.

In the second quarter, Ateneo’s bench mob of Nonoy Baclao, Ford Arao, and Eman Monfort scored eight straight points to vault the Blues to a 22-19 lead. While the Blue Eagles lost the track meet (the Greenies had 18 fastbreak points to our measly 2), they certainly asserted their might on the boards. But Cholo Villanueva doused the fire as he played the passing lanes and scored 7 points to keep the score tied at 30-all (the game’s fifth deadlock at that point).

Visions of “5”
In 1987, Gilbert “Jun” Reyes, then a junior and wearing jersey #5, led Ateneo to its first UAAP title as he copped league MVP honors with his superb quarterbacking and deadly shooting. He would repeat the feat the following year this time at the expense of the Green Archers. Interestingly, there were two Pumarens on the La Salle sidelines in 1987, Derek, who was the coach, and their star point guard Dindo, now the coach of UE.

And now the nephew who inherited the #5 is coming into his own. Like his uncle, he won too a juniors title. And in the seniors division, he has greatly improved his quarterbacking as well as his shooting to become an integral part of Ateneo coach Norman Black’s rotation. And if a Reyes is to lead the blue and white to the Promised Land of UAAP basketball glory, there’s another Pumaren on the DLSU bench he has to run the gauntlet through… Franz who steered the green and white to four straight titles and brought La Salle to greater heights.

With the first meeting in two years between the two teams on the stage that really matters, Reyes wasn’t about to disappoint. He scored a team high 18 points and dished for 6 assists during an incandescent second half before turning it over to the team’s senior marksman in Chris Tiu and its rookie guard out of Faith Academy.

Fourth and Long
Prior to the game, Kirk Long’s teammates tried to tell him what the atmosphere was going to be like for his first Ateneo-La Salle game. “It’s gonna be wild,” smiled super-sub Zion Laterre before the match. Long saw a few tapes but was hardly prepared for the intense and titanic atmosphere.

But the 18-year old from Kansas knows he’s not there anymore but smack in the middle of the hottest rivalry in these 7,100 islands. The pressure got to him in the early going as he airballed a pair of shots. Long shrugged, apologized, and promised to do better. And he played a big 27 minutes, finished with 6 points (all in the fourth quarter and overtime including a jumper reminiscent of Macky Escalona’s and four clutch free throws), and played good defense on La Salle’s guards and forwards.

When the game’s final buzzer sounded, his teammates mobbed him. “I hope to get better with every game,” he beamed while high-fiving his teammates.

Tiu for two big shots
Ateneo runs very precise sets with everyone moving to predetermined positions that react on what the defense gives them. The bigs anchor themselves for a post play, a screen or if they attract a double team then a kick out to the spot up snipers arrayed around the arc.

With the clock winding down to its final seconds of the first half, Rabah Al-Husseini set a huge pick then handed off the ball to Chris Tiu who nailed the trey from the left side corner to knot the count at 30-all.

Now in overtime, after a pair of crucial breaks where a botched free throw by Rico Maierhofer (La Salle would only make 19 of 33 shots an atrocious 56.7%) resulted in the possession arrow going Ateneo’s way 75-74. Tiu, who scored a quiet 10 points up to that point, was being guarded by JV Casio. Ren Ren Ritualo's heir got lost in the switching when Jai Reyes looked like he was going to drive for another of his teardrops. Tiu, who planted himself once more at the left corner pocket, received a pass from Reyes and with La Salle point guard Tyrone Tang doubling down on Ford Arao at the post, the Ateneo captain saw daylight.

Bang. 78-74 Ateneo.

A few more exchanges in free throws. A desperation attempt by Maierhofer to tie the game. And Round One was in the books for an Ateneo win; good for second place at 4-1. La Salle sank to 3-2, its second consecutive loss since 2005 (to FEU) along with a rejuvenated UST.

After the Ford Arao-Rico Maierhofer altercation, Walsham was still talking. Rabah Al-Husseini sidled up to him; looked him in the face without saying a word.

Talk is cheap. Why trade barbs when you can simply execute the play and give him a look?

The Road to Beijing

It’s time.

Time to see if we still have a place in the basketball firmament or if we’ve been deluding ourselves all these years that we got game.

The Jones Cup and Four-Nations Invitationals are nice, but the Promised Land is in Beijing. And the road there officially begins in Tokushima. The 2007 FIBA Asian Championship will be held in Japan and sixteen teams from across the FIBA Asia region will qualify for the event through their various sub-regional competitions. The winners of the 2007 championship will qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Basketball Tournament.

The FIBA Asian Championship is held every two years and this competition is the premier Asian basketball event for men’s national teams. And our souped-up Men’s National squad, Team Pilipinas is all pumped up for this.



Team Pilipinas will be bannered by Mark Caguiao, Asi Taulava, Jimmy Alapag, Mick Pennisi, Dondon Hontiveros, Ranidel de Ocampo, Gabe Norwood, Kerby Raymundo, Jayjay Helterbrand, Ren Ren Ritualo, Tony de la Cruz, Kelly Williams, Nino Canaleta, James Yap, and Eric Menk. Rommel Adducul and Enrico Villanueva are on the reserve list while Rafi Reavis and Danny Seigle are convalescing.

Chot Reyes will be coaching the team and will be assisted by Aboy Castro and Nash Racela.

The Philippines is bracketed in a tough group and will be facing higher seeded teams. Included in our division is current FIBA Asian Champion China ranked #11 in the world. Lebanon, silver medalist in the 2001 and 2005 competitions and pegged the 25th best team in the world, will once more be led by Fadi El-Khatib. Meanwhile, Frederick Femi Onica’s stratospheric Islamic Republic of Iran squad, ranked at #37 will be a tough unit to deal with despite their not being expected to move on in the competition.

As host of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China gets an automatic slot in the Olympics. In the event China places 2nd, 3rd, 4th or worse, they will still quality alongside the champion of the tournament. The finalist and 3rd placer then qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Qualifier.

The current FIBA Asia champions are the Yao Ming-led China who retained their title in the recent 2005 FIBA Asia Championship that took place in Doha, Qatar. China defeated Lebanon in the final with Qatar beating Korea for the bronze medal.

Basketball TV and RPN 9 will be televising Team Pilipinas’ games.

Schedule of games:
First Round
Iran vs. RP July 28 Live 5pm on RPN 9 then 7pm BTV
China vs. RP July 29 Live 5pm on RPN 9 then 7pm BTV
Jordan vs. RP July 30 Live 7pm on RPN 9 then 9pm BTV

Second Round
Teams to be determined
Semi-final 1 August 4 7pm
Semi-final 2 August 4 9pm

Third Place August 5 7pm
Finals August 5 9pm

Defend the faith! Go Ateneo!

This was Zion Laterre's jersey in his rookie year with the Blue Eagles. Good luck, team!

Flagrant Fouls

Foul #1
In the press conference for the 2007 NBA All-Star game in La Vegas, league commissioner David Stern was asked about gambling in the pro loop. The commish took a moment to massage his forehead, shook his head, and then delivered a sharp but curt reply. The media continued with the line of questioning forcing Stern to backpedal, force a smile and answer in a most congenial manner. After all, the commissioner is a smart man and any display of anger could be interpreted as being on the defensive.

For years, the NBA has had to fend off conspiracy theories and it was never more evident this year after the Western Conference Finals wherein two Phoenix Suns players were suspended after getting off the bench in a near altercation. The subsequent suspension although correct to the letter – but not in the spirit of the game -- forever altered the outcome of the series and may have allowed the San Antonio Spurs a clear lane to their fourth Larry O’Brien trophy.



And that was before the indefinite suspension of veteran zebra Joey Crawford “for grandstanding” – you’ll love this… against those same Spurs. Now comes the hard part… 13-year referee Tim Donaghy is being investigated by the FBI for game fixing and betting on the outcomes of matches.




And Mark Cuban’s first reaction is probably a smug “I told you so” before screaming “Oh my God” and running to his Tivo to review the 2006 NBA Finals that his Dallas Mavericks lost to the Miami Heat. Did Donaghy officiate any match? Well, it should also be interesting to note that he worked the game that is now dubbed the infamous Malice at the Palace.

Now every player will revisit and contemplate calls made in the dying seconds of some matches. Now does holding the All-Star Weekend and USA Basketball matches in Sin City seem like a good idea? Now the suspicion of dirty officials will spread all the way to the college game and who knows where.

Maybe the sporting leagues everywhere must look into the inclusion of Instant Replay (similar to how the NFL’s enforces it) to ensure fairness for all. Will this slow the game down? Most definitely, but it will try to eliminate controversial calls and endings.

And does that mean we’re going to take a long and hard look at the way local basketball is officiated? Any local hoops fan worth his salt will know of the whispers of game fixing, betting, and point shaving. In fact, one player who just left his college team is believed by its coaching staff to have thrown a match or two. Now shouldn’t officials instigate thorough background checks? Why let this pass? The UAAP has been beset by a variety of ills over the last few years and its board has chosen to deal with their stink either passively or in a lame duck manner. For what – political concessions later on?

A former official of another hoops association once told me in confidence that they discovered that a veteran referee was always regulating matches by one particular team. The veteran ref was given a graceful exit on the pretext of health reasons to prevent a probe or even irreparable damage to the game. But the official is now an ex-official because the owner of the squad in question demanded his pound of flesh.

The stigma of game fixing is something that doesn’t just go away. It has long-lasting repercussions that can kill a league. Now I wonder what Stern would trade for just to have (Major League Baseball counterpart) Bud Selig’s steroid scandal or (National Football League Commissioner) Roger Goodell’s Michael Vick problem?

Foul #2
Speaking of officials, top honchos from the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission have dropped football and baseball from the national sides that will be competing in the 24th SEA Games in Thailand this coming December. The volleyball teams were said to have voluntarily dropped out since it was deemed they were rookie-laden and far from a medal hopeful team.

Football has been on an upsurge of sorts in the last two years. When we bombed out of the Asean Cup earlier this year is not the point. So how do they gain performance continuity and the opportunity to play against top-flight competition if they’re banished to domestic play? Didn’t we climb the FIFA rankings in the last few months?

The sad thing about that is when the PSC and POC made this announcement, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) wasn’t informed at all. In fact, in a phone conversation with PFF President Johnny Romualdez last Friday morning, he knew nothing of this. Go infer what you want from this.

Foul #3
And I can’t believe the gall of the University of Santo Tomas to ask the UAAP Board if Jojo Duncil who “decided to turn pro” can still suit up since he really is of legit age! Whether or not he is legit is not the point. He submitted two birth certificates (with two different birth years said to be the parents’ fault since they were the ones they filed them) and after weeks denying there was a problem they sheepishly admitted that both sides were moving on. UST already submitted a line-up and it would be bad form to tinker with it even with half the first round done. I didn’t see any clemency when the Ateneo baseball team’s victories were overturned in Season 69 when one of its players who is a long-time Philippine resident didn’t have his Alien Certificate of Registration papers in order.

The action should be on the playing field not in the sidelines. But you have to admit that controversy does make for good theater and more ticket sales. Now that’s preferable to game fixing.

True Grit. True Blue. - UAAP Game 4 Ateneo 66 vs. NU 65

http://www.ateneo.edu/index.php?p=120&type=2&sec=27&aid=3839

True Grit. True Blue. - UAAP Game 4 Ateneo 66 vs. NU 65

Round One UAAP Season 70

by Rick Olivares

Saturday July 21, 2007
Ninoy Aquino Stadium
Manila City

Three wins and one loss. That’s not bad when you think that the Blue Eagles’ basketball machine has been somewhat sluggish with the win against UP the only one where the team was firing on all cylinders.

“A win is a win,” sheepishly said Ateneo coach Norman Black after the game. “Obviously this NU team is not the same one as last year. We knew we were in for a tough game, but not this tough. We just gutted out a win"

Amidst the media crush after the Bulldogs dusted off the UP Maroons in the past week, NU coach Manny Dandan celebrated with his team for a few moments then turned his thoughts to his next match-up against Ateneo. “Wala kaming pahinga nito. There will be no easy victories this year. Norman somehow always finds ways to win.”

And this game… the 59th meeting between these two teams in UAAP play, at times resembled a match where the teams tried to outdo each other through turnovers.

Crumbs on the table
The 76-73 setback to the University of the East Red Warriors last Sunday went down to the wire. But one glaring statistic that went against the Blue Eagles was that they were outrebounded on the offensive boards in two of three matches (it was only against a much smaller UP squad where Ateneo ruled in that department). The Warriors grabbed 20 offensive rebounds against our 12. Against a smaller Adamson unit, the Falcons hauled down one more than us 15-14.

With the Bulldogs and their active frontline of Edwin Asoro and Joseph Lingaolingao, it was a 21-8 difference. And at one point, in the first quarter with almost four minutes gone by, we had more turnovers than points (three to zero).

The three missed free throws down the clutch by Nonoy Baclao and a passing error by Eric Salamat – the team’s 19th of the game – kept NU in the thick of things. Fortunately for the blue and white, Bulldogs gunner Jonathan Fernandez turned the ball over that was the ultimate undoing for the Gastambide team. Although NU had fewer turnovers (15), they committed crucial ones and totally misfired in the fourth quarter. Perhaps even more mystifying is that they preferred to bomb away from beyond area code in spite of lording it over the glass. The Bulldogs attempted an incredible 37 three-point shots and made only nine.

Fifteen strong
It’s not meant to crib Miami Heat coach Pat Riley’s championship slogan, but the Ateneo Blue Eagles are 15 men deep. They may not have a bonafide superstar, but with almost every game, they find new heroes; even ugly ways to win.

In the first game against Adamson, it was Claiford Arao who finally stepped out of being a practice player to become a vital cog in Norman Black’s rotation. Against UP, Rabah Al-Husseini literally stood tall with a solid fourth quarter. During the UE game, it was Chris Tiu and Ken Barracoso who had their breakout games.

Against the Bulldogs, Jai Reyes came off the bench to put some points on the board during the first quarter drought. Tiu, bucking a fever, scored 17 markers to pace the team. Nonoy Baclao earned his wings with timely buckets and stellar defense in the clutch. And then there’s Kirk Long.

The frosh out of Faith Academy showed the promise of greatness to come by hitting a huge trey, grabbing seven boards, and playing solid defense on Jonathan Fernandez. After Bulldog sparkplug Manuel Salvado hit a trifecta over the American for a 22-18 lead for NU halfway through the second quarter, the Blue Eagle guard returned the favor by hitting a three of his own on the other end. Even his near faking of Salvado out of his high-tops was spectacular.

“We got quality minutes out of Kirk Long today,” Black said afterwards when pointing out the bright spots in a rather difficult game. “And we can expect many more.”

With Ford Arao having an off game (four points, six rebounds, and one block in 15 minutes of action), Baclao finally announced his arrival with some timely offensive putbacks early in the fourth quarter in the face of a withering three-point barrage from NU (two by Asoro and one from Fernandez). His three consecutive baskets made it 53-49 for Ateneo. “Dapat lang gumawa na ako,” smiled the rookie forward after the game. “Sana tuloy tuloy na ‘to.”

In the clutch, it was the starters who finished off the Bulldogs as Al-Husseini chipped in five points, Tiu with a deuce, and Eman Monfort with two big free throws.

Logjam at second place
At the end of the weekend’s matches, UE was atop with a 4-0 slate. La Salle’s loss put them at 3-1 good for second place with Ateneo. With the two arch-rivals set to duke it out this coming Thursday, it’s for more than just bragging rights but also to remain within striking distance of the Red Warriors.

“It was a tough win for us,” said a tired but relieved Chris Tiu after the game. “I was struggling with my free throws. I hit some shots and hopefully, I’m out of my slump. But we’re going to have to put in a lot more hard work if we want to make it to the Final Four. Every team is so much more competitive.”

“It’s an ugly win,” said Norman Black to the beat reporters after the game. “But at 3-1, it’s not such a bad place to be.”