UP Fighting Maroons wins Season 84 Title

GAME 1: UAAP Finals Season 84

UP-DILIMAN (81) – Rivero 19, Lucero 17, Spencer 13, Diouf 10, Tamayo 10, Abadiano 4, Cagulangan 4, Alarcon 4, Fortea 0, Ramos 0.

ATENEO DE MANILA (74) – Kouame 18, Verano 17, Belangel 17, Mamuyac 7, Ildefonso 6, Andrade 3, Koon 2, Chiu 2, Daves 2, Padrigao 0, Tio 0.

Period Scores: 17-19, 32-31, 49-54, 70-70 (reg.), 81-74 (OT).

GAME 2: UAAP Finals Season 84

ATENEO DE MANILA (69) – Tio 14, Kouame 14, Ildefonso 10, Mamuyac 7, Koon 6, Belangel 6, Verano 4, Andrade 3, Lazaro 3, Chiu 2, Daves 0.

UP-DILIMAN (66) – Tamayo 18, Rivero 16, Diouf 8, Cagulangan 8, Lucero 8, Alarcon 5, Spencer 3, Lina 0, Abadiano 0, Fortea 0.

Period Scores: 17-16, 37-28, 49-45, 69-66.

GAME 3: UAAP Finals Season 84

UP-DILIMAN (72) – Diouf 17, Cansino 14, Cagulangan 13, Rivero 9, Alarcon 8, Tamayo 6, Spencer 5, Abadiano 0, Fortea 0, Lucero 0.

ATENEO DE MANILA (69) – Belangel 27, Kouame 12, Mamuyac 10, Koon 6, Lazaro 5, Verano 5, Ildefonso 2, Tio 2, Andrade 0, Chiu 0, Daves 0.

Period Scores: 17-11, 31-27, 46-47, 59-59 (reg.), 72-69 (OT).

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES 

FIGHTING MAROONS

UAAP SEASON 84 MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPION

 

Dejavu: Eagles rout Tams anew

No this is not the patintero -

this is the pick and roll of the Blue Eagles

In 2009 FEU Center Aldrech Ramos put up numbers that almost gave him the UAAP MVP of that Season, his exemplary season earned him a spot for the SMART Gilas team. The following year it was his team mate RR Garcia who pocketed the MVP as he led the Tams to the finals. Both players led the Tamaraws to the much needed wins to get another finals berth and were tasked to put up good numbers for the Tamaraws to overcome the three time defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles.

The Phenom glides to the basket

The Blue Eagles had no stars who could match up to their numbers but only had one thing going for them which is no secret to the whole league – their team defense. The Blue Eagles limited the high scoring pair as Ramos scored 9 points and pulled down only three rebounds while Garcia missed all seven of his three point attempts to settle for six points. This is the signature defensive game that the Blue Eagles have employed in all its finals games since 2008 as the Blue Eagles swoop down on the hapless FEU Tamaraws enroute to a convincing 82 – 64 win in Game 1 of the Best of three series for the 74th UAAP Basketball Tournament.

Nico Salva three pointer

The Blue Eagles started hot by scoring six straight points in the opening two minutes as Greg Slaughter scored on an inside feed, Nico Salva on a runner and Kiefer Ravena on a baseline jumper to give the Blue Eagles an early 6 – 0 lead that led to the first ceasefire called by the Tamaraws. The Tams regrouped and countered with their own 6 – 0 run with RR Garcia scoring off a jumper and Sophomore Guard Terrence Romeo canning two jumpers that tied the count at 6 – 6 with six minutes left.

One of three Greg Slaughter dunks

The reason the Tams sued time as early as the first two minutes is to make sure that the first quarter meltdown of the Tams last year won’t happen again and that is is hard to play catch up with the Blue Eagles. The Tams pounced on the Blue Eagles once more to end the quarter on top 19 -14. Terrence Romeo scored 10 first quarter points to pace the Morayta based Tamaraws that weathered the early Ateneo avalanche on points.

Nico dunks the ball as well

The second quarter controlled the game early as the tandem of Chris Tolomia and Rusell Escoto provided additional scoring to the Tamaraws as Ramos, Garcia and Exciminiano combined to give the Tams their biggest lead 28 – 18 with four minutes left in the half. In came the game changer – Mr. Jepoy Erram. Erram’s intimidating presence was felt after he blocked the shot of Tolomia that sent a message to the Tamaraws. The Blue Eagles finally got their game going as as their defense forced the Tamaraws to turnovers which Nico Salva and Kiefer Ravena took advantage by scoring on avalanche of points to preside over a crippling 12 – 0 run to give the Blue Eagles the upperhand 30 – 28. Chris Tolomia scored on a three pointer to give back the lead to the Tams and the half ended with both teams tied 33 – all.

Captain Kirk

" Beam me up Scottie"

The third quarter started with Captain Kirk Long coming alive by finally showing the chink in Terrence Romeo’s defense. Kirk exploited that match up that made the Tams adjust right away. Long scored 6 points to counter the hot shooting Romeo as both teams fought nail to nail until the final stand still at 45 – all. Just when the Tams thought they had the Blue Eagles covered the three time champions made a decisive run in the last five minutes and the proud fighting Tamaraws never knew what hit them. Nico Salva sank four free throws, scored on a runner and capped it out with a dunk shot to preside over a remarkable 20 – 4 run that the Blue Eagles used to end the third quarter on top 60 – 49 and in more importantly was in full control of the game.

Exciminiano Kieferized!

There was no more looking back for the Eagles in the fourth quarter as the Salva put the icing on the cake by scoring six points, Monfort finally hitting a three pointer and Greg Slaughter dunking the ball twice on two great feeds from Ravena and an alley-oop from Long. The biggest lead of the game was established at the 1:43 mark with the Blue Eagles opening a 78 – 58 lead. Dejavu. The Blue Eagles blew out the Tamaraws just like in 2010 with good defense and great teamwork.

Another Kiefer Basket

The gorgeous 80’s beauty Bo Derek once came out with the number 10 as the perfect number. But today, the perfect game was dished out by the Blue Eagles’ number eight as he went eight for eight for both on field goals and on free throws which is the first perfect game in a championship by an Atenean as the fourth year forward never missed a shot which is just shows that he has taken the lead role for the Blue Eagles in the finals.

A floater by Juami Tiongson

Game two is on Tuesday, the only time that the finals will be held on a Tuesday. This a chance for the Blue Eagles to avenge the losses of the Blue Eaglets that lost out in the final 4 to the Baby Tamaraws and to the Grade School SBP team which lost out to Lourdes in the SBP semifinals. The past three years, all three teams won in their respective divisions, now it will only be the Blue Eagles who is on the brink of setting a school record. Go Ateneo One Big Fight!

Justin Chua for two

The scores:

Ateneo de Manila (82)

Salva 24, Ravena 17, Slaughter 12, Monfort 11, Long 8, Erram 4, Tiongson 4, Chua 2, Gonzaga 0, Golla 0, Austria 0

Far Eastern University (64)

Romeo 23, Escoto 12, Ramos 9, Garcia 6, Exciminiano 6, Tolomia 5, Pogoy 2, Cruz 1, Sentcheu 0, Bringas 0

Quarter scoring: 14-19, 33-33, 60-49, 82-64

The look on the FEU Bench - Priceless

The Blame Game

One trait that we Filipinos have in common is our knack to blame someone orsomething as the culprit so that we can escape whatever deed we did wrong. bviously we Filipinos are very emotional when it comes to basketball moreso if we support a team in the UAAP. First things first, I really believe that NABRO does not deserve the rep that their refs have. It is always at the back of the minds of every UAAP spectator that NABRO is the worst group of referees. Well let’s say if that’s true then who do we replace them with? Our NAASCU referees are far worse on their best day against a NABRO ref on his worst. Let’s just wait for our hosts next year to figure it out. Remember, we spectators are just spectators and are not in front of the players when they commit fouls, or such. I believe that the competency of these refs have improved and hopefully improve more in the future.

DLSU Coach Franz Pumaren said that the 2008 Finals had the worst officiating that he has ever seen. For once I might agree but then again, we all know that it was just an excuse so that his team and school can blame another entity for robbing them of the championship and not themselves. DLSU came out of the finals a different team, in both games the Archers employed a thump and bump system that the referees I believe were very lenient with. In game 1 alone, they only called fouls which made the Eagles lose their balance or some very obvious ones. Game 2 was something different. Pumaren argued a controversial call on Rico Fingerhofer which threw him out of the game. That’s two technical fouls on him of the same nature. Two technical fouls??? Remember his first technical foul was because he was taunting Nonoy Baclao, so why blame the second when he was guilty of having a first technical. If Rico was as cool and composed as JV Casio and kept his mind on his game rather than taunt every Eagle on court then I believe that he could have not been whistled for those two T’s. I really think that the Archers came out with so much angst in them that taunting Rabah Al-Husaini, Eric Salamat, Nonoy Baclao and Ryan Buenafe was a part of their game plan. Their thump and bump play and fired them up but they were not men enough to face the consequences of their actions since they will always have the referees to blame. 

Lastly, in Game 1 Chris Tiu was called for two quick fouls that got him out of the game early and he never got his game going and just got two points. Well, instead of sulking the Blue Eagles found other ways to score and win. In game 2 Rabah was called for two fouls in the fist two minutes of the game and resurfaced in the third quarter. Ryan Buenafe was bumped and taunted by Bader Malabes and his reaction merited a technical foul. This one happened right in front of me and I believe Bader succeeded with his plan of getting the ire of Ryan. Although Norman argued these calls he did not let the officiating get into him. DLSU had the GOLDEN chance to take advantage of that but they failed to capitalize on it. When Rabah went to the bench the Eagles raised their level of play which paved the way for shock troopers like Mike Baldos and Jobe Nkemakolam to combine for twelve points between as the Eagles ended the half with a 15 point lead. When Rico and subsequently JV went out the Archers scored only four points in the fourth quarter. James Mangahas who was suppose to be their third option was afraid to take the shot with Nonoy Baclao in front of him, PJ Barua just threw the ball whenever he got it, Bader Malabes just followed Barua's example and Simon Atkins became an offensive liability. On the other hand, PJ Walsham had a good best Carlo Sharma imitation and scored the only four points of DLSU in the 4th Quarter. A lot of Coaches said that Basketball is a game of reaction and adjustment, we always have to adjust to what the other team is doing and eventually to how the referees call the game. Unfortunately, we Filipinos have always someone to blame when things don’t go our way, fortunately that is not the Ateneo way! To make matters worse, a boycott of the awarding just shows how classy one team can be. As Filipinos we all have our priorities, but to some school comes first, then country and the example that they showed will definitely be justified by their community and I don’t blame them for that. 

For more on this just read these articles from veteran sports writers of the Manila Bulletin:

I changed the link to this multiply journal entry by my friend Jol Espiritu-Cruel

http://holyjoeli.multiply.com/journal/item/45