TEAM – together everyone achieves more. This is the basic tenet that the Ateneo Blue Eagles have lived by the past five years that Coach Norman Black has guided this team. As a team, the Ateneo Blue Eagles looked formidable and each and everyone contributed their share in ousting the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers 81 – 64. Season 72 League MVP Dylan Ababou bid farewell to the UAAP as he and Khasim Mirza, who is also in his last year, gave it their best shot but their efforts were not enough to overcome the Blue Eagles juggernaut.
The first quarter saw the Blue Eagles and Tigers size up each other as both point guards Jai Reyes and Jeric Fortuna of the Tigers each scored seven points to lead their respective teams. The Tigers fell in love with the three pointer with Ababou, Mirza , Tata Bautista and Jeric Teng all firing blanks and were not doing much damage. On the other hand, the Eagles were running the fastbreak every time the Tigers misfired. The result was a respectable 22 – 16 first quarter lead.
The Eagles were without a key bench player in this game as Nico Salva was suspended because of his hit on Jens Knuttel of FEU. This was the cue Ryan Buenafe needed as he and fellow SSC alum Eric Salamat anchored the 2nd quarter defense of the Eagles. Salamat singlehandedly disrupted the Tigers offense as he stole the ball four times and fed off team mates as he and Buenafe scored and dished as the unselfish play of the Blue Eagles gave them enough cushion for a lift off.
The third quarter was all about defense again as the Blue Eagles sharpened their claws once more for the kill. The Tigers scored 16 first quarter points, 15 second quarter points and by the third quarter they were limited to only 13 points. This was made possible because of the defense of Nonoy Baclao on Ababou and the pressure of the Blue Eagle guards on their Tiger counterparts. The Tigers were more aggressive in going to the basket by were time and again thwarted by the rotating defense of the men in Blue. This was the momentum they sustained in the fourth quarter as the Tigers never got things going while the Blue Eagles got their biggest lead of 22 points and just coasted along to get the morale boosting win.
The Blue Eagles barged into their second consecutive finals and are the big favorites to win back to back. Winning the title will be a fitting finale to the collegiate careers of Rabah Al-Husaini, Nonoy Baclao and Jai Reyes as back to back 16 -1 seasons are in the offing. Go Ateneo One Big Fight.
ATENEO (81)
Reyes 17, Buenafe 15, AL-Husaini 14, Baclao 13, Salamat 6, Chua 6, Long 6, Sumalinog 2, Austria 2, Monfort 0, Gonzaga 0, Golla 0
UST (64)
Ababou 19, Mirza 14, Teng 10, Bautista 9, Fortuna 7, Afuang 4, Camus 1, Maliksi 0, Aytona 0
Quarterscores: 22 – 16, 40 – 31, 63 – 44, 81 – 64
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