WILL it be goodbye for Ateneo today?
Or will Ateneo shove La Salle into a winner-take-all Game 3?
Its title chances mercifully scattered on cliff’s edge, Ateneo needs to summon all its strength up to the last ounce to survive a ready-to-reign La Salle.
Another win to follow-up its 67-65 weekend escape in Game 1 would give La Salle the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball crown via a rare two-game sweep.
But if Game 1 is any indication, La Salle will have to grind it out anew to dismiss Ateneo, whose gritty stance last Saturday was the stuff seen unexpectedly from an underdog thrust to a pressure-cooker situation.
If only for that, another close game could be in the offing yet again today.
That was what we had in Game 1: A battle to the death.
Unless Ateneo changes tactics—from an anemic start to a canon-blast from the starting blocks—that’s what we will have again today.
Ateneo played a very cautious start last Saturday and La Salle answered with: “OK, come to my parlor, baby.”
Immediately, La Salle’s “Gangnam Style” of defense a.k.a. “mayhem” choked Ateneo to just six anemic, tournament-low of first quarter points.
As a result, La Salle sped to a crippling 15-point, 19-4 bulge before settling for a 10-point margin at the half.
Ateneo managed to turn things around with a revised strategy—a running attack in full steam—forging a 52-all deadlock at third quarter’s end.
What followed next was a see-saw battle in the fourth, with Ateneo sustaining its revived firepower sparked by Thirdy Ravena and Matt Nieto.
So, despite the Archers’ admittedly superior arsenal, the Eagles would not be denied as they even edged ahead at 65-64 through Matt Nieto.
And even as Nieto would miss the “and-1,” the Eagles plucked the rebound and appeared to nail a potential game-winner.
But gold turned garbage when Ravena lost ball possession, leading to an almost unmolested lay-up by Jeron Teng for La Salle’s 66-65 margin.
Ateneo still had a chance for redemption, but Aaron Black got blocked on the return play—by who else but Teng himself.
Kid Montalbo split his charities for La Salle’s final 67-65 victory.
A La Salle victory today would produce a ninth overall crown for the Tafters in green. But, more painfully, it will absolutely soil Tab Baldwin’s global coaching reputation. Wasn’t he the guy who brought New Zealand to an unbelievable Olympic basketball stint?
And with a La Salle win, Archers’ rookie coach Aldin Ayo will surely reap cheers from a crowd that applauds lustily once every decade.
Will Ateneo allow that?
“A pride pricked from a 0-2 loss would never be an Ateneo option today,” said Valentin Dakuykoy. “Not with La Salle doing it.”
Well, let’s see.
THAT’S IT. Jose Mari Hechanova aced No. 9 of Baguio Country Club last week but, unfortunately, he didn’t win the Toyota Wigo. The designated hole for the car is No. 10. Not Mari’s time. As a consolation, Mari was handed an Ipad mini by Roanne Galicia, the Fil-Am Invitational Golf chief at the secretariat…The raffled Wigo during the Seniors Awards last Thursday went to Ed Montero of Fair Golf Club of Sydney. The San Miguel Corp.-Northern Cement squad (manager Louie Sison, Eddie Bagtas, Chito Laureta, Jinky Tuason, Bong Sison, Benjie Sumulong and captain Bobby Inigo) was crowned Seniors champion for the second straight year, beating Albert Garcia’s Megafiber, the 2013 champ, by a measly point. Cheers! The Men’s Regular is on, with SMC-NC aiming for another victory to make it a rare sweep in the event’s 67th edition ending Saturday.