THE 1987 UAAP SEASON – SECOND ROUND

DEJAVU vs. FEU

Whenever the Blue Eagles face the FEU Tamaraws its always a physical battle and if ever the Ateneans would go on and win, they come out bloodied and scarred. This 2^nd encounter is no different, since the Tamaraws yielded to the Blue Eagles in the last five minutes of the game in the first round.  This time it was the troika of Andy de Guzman, Dodong Postanes and Ronald Carodan that pummeled the inside while Jack Tanuan took a backseat as the Tamaraws took a 51 – 46 lead. At the start of the second half both teams then fought side by side with the Tamaraws leading 77 – 76 with seven minutes left. The next few minutes saw defense take over as turnovers and missed shots took centerstage. In the last three minutes, with the Tamaraws ahead 81 – 78 the Blue Eagles waged their final offensive as Nonoy Chuatico scored on a three pointer to tie the count. After that Jun Reyes scored on an “and one” play plus a free throw. The Blue Eagles clamped on the Tamaraws who suddenly could not buy a basket and after a good defensive play Nonoy Chuatico was called for a 10 second back court violation. Chuatico eventually made up with that miscue by sinking another three pointer – dejavu.   Jet Nieto eventually settled the count by scoring the last point to give the Blue Eagles another 89 – 81 win against the Tamaraws. It was the first time that the Ateneo won over the Tamaraws twice in one season. In other games UE beat Adamson, La Salle brought down UP and UST beat NU. That meant only the Warriors and the Blue Eagles are still tied for first (6-2)

GAME 8: ATENEO 89 - FEU 81:

DLSU 99 – UP 90, UE 94 – AdU 82, UST 116 – NU 104

ATENEO (87) Chuatico 26, G. Reyes 21, Nieto 10, E. Reyes 8,Francisco 6, Gayoso 5, Basa 5, Araneta 4, Racela 3, Canlas 1, Jeongco 0,

FEU (81) De Guzman 17, Postanes 12, Carodan 12, Latoreno 12, Cruz 10, Tanuan 8, Tiu 8, Byron 2, Nicolas 0, Pablo 0,

Halftime 46 - 51

ATENEO, UE 6-2, UP, UST 5-3, DLSU 4-4, FEU, ADU 3-5, NU 0-7

GAINING GROUND vs. NU, ADAMSON & UP

The next three games saw the Blue Eagles went to overdrive as Eric Reyes led the charge as they put a leash on the NU Bulldogs 94-85 and outsoared the Adamson Falcons 105 -94.  Reyes topscored for 19 points against the Bulldogs and was unstoppable against the Falcons as he scored 24 points and pulled down 18 rebounds.  Everything was going the way of the Blue Eagles as they picked up another win after the UAAP declared UST guard Fedencio Oblina as ineligible after the board discovered that he did not pass his NCEE exam. His disqualification eventually reversed the win the Glowing Goldies had in the first round and put the Eagles on solo first with a 9 – 1 win loss slate.  Of all the teams that benefited from this scenario it was the Eagles that got the most bonus since it gave them a clear one game lead against the UE Warriors.  That development inspired the Blue Eagles as they demolished the undermanned UP Maroons 88 – 56. UP’s three National Players, Ronnie Magsanoc, Benjie Paras and Joey Guanio, were not around that cost them two losses (the other one against NU) that virtually knocked them off the top 2. 

GAME 9: ATENEO 94 - NU 85

UE 89 – DLSU 76, UP 108 – FEU 81, UST 99 – ADU 81

ATENEO (94) E. Reyes 19, Gayoso 18, Nieto 16, Francisco 11, G. Reyes 9, Araneta 6, Basa 6, Chuatico 4, Racela 3, Morales 2,  Jeongco 0, Mendoza 0,

NU (85) Matias 23, Artificio 19, Bautista 13, Rey 10, Lazo 6, Tan 6, Ferrer 4, Divino 2, Lescano2, Adadas 0,  Halftime: 50 - 36

ATENEO, UE (7-2), UP, UST (6-3), DLSU (4-5), FEU, ADU (3-6), NU (0-9)

 GAME 10: ATENEO 105 - ADAMSON 94

NU 89 – UP 75, UST 100 – DLSU 83, UE 91 –FEU 82

ATENEO (105) E.Reyes 24, Chuatico 17, G. Reyes 17, Araneta 11, Basa 10, Francisco 9, Nieto 6, Jeongco 5, Canlas 2, Racela 2, Mendoza 2,

ADAMSON (94) Estrada 26, Banez 14, Garcia 11, Cruz 11, Yao 7, Doromal 7, Saitanan 7, Cahanding 4, Valdez 3, Francisco 2, Halftime: 56-51

ATENEO (9-1), UE (8-2), UP (6-4), ADU (5-5), FEU, DLSU (4-6), UST (3-7), NU (1-9)

 GAME 11: ATENEO 88 -  UP 88-56

FEU 107- NU 89, DLSU 88 - ADU 71, UE 116 – UST 110

ATENEO (88) Chuatico 17, E. Reyes 13, Francisco 12, G. Reyes 11, Gayoso 10, Nieto 9, Canlas 6, Jeongco 4, Habana 2, Morales 2, Racela 2, Mendoza 0,

UP (56) Rodriguez 12, Wenceslao 11, Cruz 11, Noriega 7, Mendoza 4, Clemente 4, Somera 2, Manlulo 2, Subido 2, Vergara 0,  Halftime: 41 – 36

ATENEO (10-1), UE (9-2), UP (6-5), ADU, FEU, DLSU (5-6), UST (3-8), NU (1-10)

THE REMATCH vs. UE

With the Maroons virtually out of the finals picture the second meeting between the Warriors and Eagles became a preview of the UAAP finals. Both teams measure up well with each other and are evenly matched with the Eagles narrowly winning in the first round by two free throws in overtime.  The game was high scoring as both teams came out firing. National Team slotman Jerry Codinera and Vilmer Banares started the ball rolling for the team in red while JV Gayoso and Nonoy Chuatico countered with the team in Blue as the first half ended with the Eagles on top 60 - 58.  Both teams tried to seize the upperhand but like a championship game no team allowed the other to pull away. With three minutes and 26 seconds left and the Blue Eagles on top 94 – 93, the Blue Eagles bleachers section started to chant loudly the “Ateneo, Ateneo  Go and Fight!” cheer for two straight minutes that amazingly looked like the cheer was putting the Warriors into a spell as they sputtered in those two minutes. Taking advantage of their futility, the Blue Eagles went with Gayoso, Chuatico and rookie center Danny Francisco to score nine unanswered points to put the game beyond recall as the Eagles took a commanding 103- 93 lead with a minute and thirty seconds remaining. The Blue Eagles went on to quash the last minute rally of the Warriors as Codinera and Modesto Hojilla scored to narrow the gap 105 – 102 with the Eagles still wining. The win gave the Blue Eagles a two game lead in the standings against the Warriors as they improved to 11 – 1 while the Warriors are at second with a 9 – 3 slate. Jerry Codinera led all scorers that night by scoring 32 points while Vilmer Banares added 22. For the Blue Eagles it was JV Gayoso’s 26 and Nonoy Chuatico’s 25 that did the trick. 

GAME 12: vs. UE: 105-102

DLSU 113 - NU 88, UP 92 - UST 83,  FEU 108 - ADU 71,

ATENEO (105) Gayoso 26, Chuatico 25, Canlas 12, G. Reyes 11, Nieto 9, E. Reyes 8, Francisco 8, Araneta 4, Racela 2, Jeongco 0

UE (102) Codinera 32, Banares 22, Villarias 16, Hojilla 11, Barile 7, Zamar 6, Ella 4, Bartolome 2, Mariquit 2, Fermin 0,  Halftime: 60-58

ADMU(11-1), UE (9-3), UP(7-5), DLSU, FEU (6-6),  AdU (5-7), UST (3-9) NU (1-11)

THE HOMESTRETCH vs. DLSU and UST

The last two games of the Blue Eagles saw them sharpen their saw as Eric Reyes burned his former school by scoring 30 points against the De La Salle Green Archers. Coach Dindo Pumaren tried to put a pesky Gelacio Abanilla all game long on Jun Reyes to disrupt the Eagles offense. Unfortunately that never happened.  Haj Jeongco and La Salle's Eric Afable provided the sideshow as both players were trash talking when both players guarded each other. The two almost came into blows as their taunting almost got the best of them. The Eagles took the half 52-49. Early on in the  second half the Archers equalized as game was tied at 60 - all. Eric Reyes scored eight points in a 14 - 5 blast that put the Eagles comfortably ahead 74 - 65 midway through the second half. After the Archers cut the lead to six 71 - 77, the Blue Eagles went to work once again and dropped another bomb that was capped by a three pointer by Joseph Canlas to put the game beyond recall 87- 73.  The final stand by the Green Archers barely mattered as the Eagles went on to win 98 - 89. The Archers were never in the game and relied so much on Dindo Pumaren who scored 40. In their last game of the elimination round, the Blue Eagles avenged their loss against the UST Glowing Goldies with a masterful 108 – 101 win with Nonoy Chuatico  leading the way with 27 points. These two wins prepared the Blue Eagles for the battle that was coming – the 1987 UAAP Men’s Basketball finals. 

GAME 13 vs. DLSU 98-89

UE 102 – NU 99, UP 107 – Adamson 103, FEU 96 – UST 82

ATENEO (98) E. Reyes 30, Chuatico 17, Canlas 14, Nieto 9, Jeongco 8, Gayoso 7, G. Reyes 7, Francisco 4, Basa 2, Araneta 2, Morales 1, Racela 0,

DE LA SALLE (89)Pumaren 40, Santamaria 12, Dinglasan 11, Guste 8, Afable 6, Del Rosario 5, Monasterio 3, Bachmann 2, Favis 2, Bachmann 2, Favis 2, Viaplana 0, Abanilla 0 Halftime: 52-49

ADMU (12-1), UE (10-3), UP (8-5), FEU (7-6), DLSU (6 -6), AdU (5-8), UST (3-10) NU (1-12)

GAME 14 vs. UST 108-101

NU 98 - Adamson 96, FEU 99 - DLSU 87,  UP 101 - UE 87

ATENEO (108) Chuatico 27, Gayoso 16, E. Reyes 15, Nieto 12, Jeongco 8, Basa 7, G. Reyes 6, Francisco  6, Araneta 4, Racela 3, Canlas 2, Mendoza 2,

UST (101) Chua 23, Babilonia 15, Sichon 14, Jose 12, Salvador 12, Franco 10, Flores 6, Bass 4, Belmonte 4,

Halftime: 60- 56

1987 UAAP

FINAL STANDINGS

TEAM     W    L

ATENEO 13  1           

UE         10  4    

UP          9   5      

FEU        8   6

DLSU      6   8

ADU        5  9

UST        3   11

NU          2  12

NEXT BLOG:    THE 1987 UAAPCHAMPIONSHIP

THE 1987 UAAP SEASON - FIRST ROUND

THE 1987 ATENEO BLUE EAGLES

The Blue Eagles were tagged as the dark horse of the tournament and experts said that they will come out third at best behind either UE or UP. But when the season was about to start; only Ateneans were confident enough to brag that the Blue Eagles will win the UAAP 1987 Men’s Basketball title because the core of the team is ripe for a championship.  Like what many people say, you build a champion team with champion players. The core of the team 83 – 84 champion team had Jun Reyes, JV Gayoso, Alex Araneta, Seph Canlas and Jet Nieto. The 85 team had Albert Mendoza and Raymund Morales while the 1986 team had Danny Francisco, Jojo Habana and Olsen Racela. That is four High school championship teams and you can add to that the NOPSSCEA Finals MVP Nonoy Chuatico and LSGH National Inter-secondary Champion Eric Reyes, together with veterans Mel Basa and Haj Jeongco.  That time, and even until now,  there was no team loaded with High School championship experience than the Blue Eagles.

When classes started in the school year 1987- 1988 the Ateneo community were in for a sneak peek as they played one of the contenders of the 1987 NCAA, the Letran Knights. The knights eventually won the NCAA that year and with the Blue Eagles beating them by 15 points was a testament that the Blue Eagles were ready to wreak havoc in the UAAP.  After that practice game, the Ateneo community got more excited when they met the team during the annual Ateneo cheer rally. Now that the team is ready as they say all we need now are the people who will watch the games. Since the Ateneo transferred to the UAAP all the players saw were empty seats, some family members and some loyal friends who were there to watch. The University Athletics office would even go as far as give complimentary tickets to some avid fans that wanted to watch. But this time it’s different, the bulk of the Ateneo community back then were the same supporters who watched the 1983 Juniors team beat the UST prep and the same supporters who came to watch the 12- 0 Blue Eaglets. Then came the supporters that saw the pain and gains of the 1985 Eaglets that eventually won the title and the same supporters that saw the 14 – 0 Blue Eaglets.  For the first time, the Ateneo Blue Eagles will be playing alongside a packed coliseum and as the say; finally the Blue Babble Battalion will have a crowd to lead.

UAAP OPENING vs. UP

The 1987 UAAP opened on July 18, 1987 at the decades old Rizal Memorial Coliseum.  In those years, the opening ceremonies was attended by the students of all the member schools so you can just imagine that  the Rizal Coliseum was packed to the rafters. The first opponent of the Blue Eagles and the first game after the opening ceremonies was the defending champion UP Maroons. Fresh from their monumental win last school year, the Maroons had the bulk of their champion team coming back with National team point guard Ronnie Magsanoc, shooter Joey Guanio, defensive stalwart Ramil Cruz and the strongest force in amateur basketball, the Tower of Power – Benjie Paras.  The Blue Eagles started with Alex Araneta at center, JV Gayoso and Eric Reyes at the forward spot and Jun Reyes and Nonoy Chuatico as the guards.  The Blue Eagles clogged the middle that made it so hard for the Maroons to penetrate that made Ronnie Magsanoc take over by scoring 27 first half points. The Blue Eagles took the half 48 – 43 and were in control of the game.  With a packed Rizal Memorial Coliseum, the Blue Babble Battalion went down to perform with their shades on and that elicited boos from the other schools that were present. At the start of the second half, the Blue Eagles were unfazed with the connivance of the other schools to cheer with the Maroons as the Blue Eagles erected their biggest lead 69 – 58 with less than ten minutes remaining. Then it happened, the defending champions went inside the paint and Benjie Paras took over and showed the stuff that they were made off as they dropped a 22 – 6 bomb to take the upper hand 80 - 75. Unfortunately, for the Blue Eagles, the player who created the spark to help the UP Maroons get back was their rookie point guard Alfie Manlulo who was a part of the 1986 Ateneo Juniors team. Nonoy Chuatico tried to counter with a three pointer to equalize the count at 80- all that got the Ateneo bleachers singing their fight songs. However, the Maroons gathered enough steam to quell the final uprising of the Blue Eagles to eke out an 88 – 80 win.  The team was so eager to put away the defending champions that the opening day jitters got into the Blue Eagles as they shot a paltry 13 for 33 from the free throw line that spelled their doom. Was it opening day jitters? The Blue Eagles lacked the killer instinct needed by a champion team and this they learned against the defending champions. 

GAME 1: OPENING DAY: UP 88 – ATENEO 80,

Adamson 97-NU 77, UE 105-UST 101 (OT) FEU 83-DLSU 79

UP (88) Magsanoc 38, Paras 18, Cruz 14, Guanio 5, Rodriguez 5, Manlulo 3, Vergara 3, Wenceslao 2,

ATENEO (80) Chuatico 16, G. Reyes 16 Nieto 15, E. Reyes 9, Jeongco 6, Francisco 6, Gayoso 5, Canlas 3, Racela 2, Araneta 2,    Halftime: 43-48

ATENEO WINS OVER ADAMSON and NU

After that nerve-wracking loss to the Maroons, the Blue Eagles flaunted with defeat once again against the Adamson Falcons as they gave up a 14-point lead. Roland Ventura and Juancho Estrada orchestrated a comeback that almost have them win only to falter in the waning seconds of the game that went to overtime.  Losing another double digit lead and with the game going to overtime, it was the wake -up call the Blue Eagles were waiting for as the Katipunan squad outscored the San Marcelino cagers 17 – 3 in overtime. Danny Francisco showed why he Ateneans are excited with the new Eagle on the block by scoring 10 of his team high 14 points in overtime as the Blue Eagles scored their first win 89 – 75. In their third game against the NU Bulldogs, this time the shooters had their field day. Nonoy Chuatico scattered 28 points, while Jun Reyes had 22, Jet Nieto netting 13 and Joseph Canlas scoring 12 as the Blue Eagles ran over the hapless Bulldogs 107 – 94. The news of the day was that the last two previously unbeaten teams, defending champion UP Maroons and UE Warriors both lost their games to Adamson and FEU respectively. As a result of those losses, there was a five-way tie for the  top spot as Adamson, Ateneo, FEU, UE and UP were all tied for first place with similar 2 – 1 win loss cards.

GAME 2: ATENEO 89 - ADAMSON 81,

UP 100 – NU 81, UST 88 – FEU 81, UE 104 – DLSU 95

ATENEO (89) Francisco 14, E. Reyes 14, G. Reyes 12, Basa 12, canlas 12, Chuatico 10, Nieto 9, Racela 6, Araneta 2, Jeongco 2,

ADAMSON (81) Ventura 23, Estrada 22, Doromal 8, Saitanan 7, Garcia 6, Cahanding 6, Chua 3, Yao 0 Halftime:  41-34

 GAME 3 ATENEO 107 vs. NU 194 :

DLSU 89 – UST 76, ADAMSON 95- UP85 FEU 107- UE 94 OT

ATENEO  (107) Chuatico 28, G. Reyes 22, Nieto 13, Canlas 11, Francisco 10, Habana 6, Mendoza 5, Araneta 5, Gayoso 4, Morales 2, E. Reyes 0, Racela 0,

NU (94) Rey 21, Bautista 17, Artifico 14, LEscano 11, matias 8, Artadi 8, Ferrer 7 Divino 5, Lazo 4 Tan 0, Nicdao 0, Halftime: 54-47

THE MONUMENTAL BATTLE vs UE

Those two wins helped prepare the Blue Eagles for the epic battles against four contenders that would come after. First, the team that is favored to win it all, the 1986 runner-up UE Warriors. The Blue Eagles started well as they held an early 12 – 4 lead thru good defense, fastbreaks and jumpers. The Warriors immediately clobbered back thru the timely hits of do it all guard Vernie Villarias to give the Recto squad a 35 – 34 lead. Nonoy Chuatico helped detonate a 15 – 9 run that saw the Eagles end the first half ahead by five 49 – 44.  In the second half, the Warriors were just within striking distance until they levelled the count at 60 – all. Then both teams fought toe to toe from thereon until JV Gayoso baited Jerry Codinera’s fourth foul with three seconds left with the score tied at 90 – all. Luckily, for the Warriors, the pressure got into Gayoso as he missed both free throws and the game went to overtime.  The Warriors then took the upper hand right away 93 – 90 until Danny Francisco baited Codinera for his fifth and last foul. Danny said that it was hard facing Codinera for the first time because Jerry can shoot a jumper , is strong inside and you have to be ready to get the rebounds against him. But with Codinera out of the ball game, the Blue Eagles took advantage and turned the tables around. With the game about to go into a second overtime, Jun Reyes was fouled with three seconds left. This time the Reyes made sure that his free throws would go in as the Eagles notched their third win with a hard-earned 102 – 100 overtime victory against the UE Warriors. Six Blue Eagles scored in double figures with Nonoy Chuatico leading the way with 24 points, Eric Reyes had 16, rookie center Danny Francisco added 15 points, Jun Reyes and JV Gayoso both had 13 points while Jet Nieto added 11 markers. UE’s Vernie Villarias went wild with 35 points and Codinera chipped in 16 points.

GAME 4: ATENEO 102 - UE 102- 100 OT:

FEU 118 – NU 93, DLSU 83 – ADU 71, UP 97 – UST 92

ATENEO (102) Chuatico 24, E. Reyes 16, Francisco 15, G. Reyes 13, Gayoso 13, Nieto 11, Araneta 6, Racela 2, Jeongco 2, Canlas 0, Basa 0,

UE (100) Villarias 35, Codinera 16, Barile 16, Bartolome 13, Longalong 8, Fermin 4, Zamar 4, Hojilla 2, Mariquit 2,   Halftime: 49-44 regulation 90-all

Ateneo, FEU, UP (3-1) Adamson, DLSU, UE, UST (2-2) ust 1-3 NU 0-4

THE SHOOT-OUT vs. FEU

Three days after their biggest conquest, the Blue Eagles were ready to mix it up with another title favorite the Far Eastern University Tamaraws. The last time these two teams met, the Tamaraws won 2 – 0 to win the MMBL title in February and the odds favor the tamaraws again. In this game, the Tamaraws went to Jack Tanuan early and the rest of their frontline that included rookie Victor Pablo, Andy de Guzman, Dodong Postanes and were on the verge of beating the Blue Eagles once again by leading by 10 points with less than five minutes left. It was at this time when Nonoy Chuatico said “Enough is Enough!” and afterwards  drilled in four consecutive three- pointers to erase that ten point lead and eventually surge ahead 70 – 66. That run inspired the rest of the team that responded with an 8 – 2 bomb in the last two minutes to close the game and run away with a 78 – 68 win.  Nonoy Chuatico waxed hot as he scored 31 points and was averaging 27 ppg in their last three games against the Bulldogs, Warriors and Tamaraws. In the other games, the UE Warriors beat the defending champion UP Maroons in overtime that gave the Blue Eagles solo leadership with a 4 – 1 slate.  It was the third consecutive overtime game of the Warriors and this time they played their cards right.

GAME 5: ATENEO  78 - FEU 78 - 68

DLSU 91 – NU 90, UST 84-ADu 81, UE 116- UP 110 (OT)

ATENEO (78) Chuatico 30, Reyes G. 12, Gayoso 9, Nieto 7, Canlas 6, Francisco 4, Racela 4, E. Reyes 3, Araneta 2, Basa 1, Jeongco 0

FEU (68) Tanuan 23, Pablo12, De Guzman 11, Cruz 10, Postanes 8, Tiu 2, Burden 2, Nicolas 0, Latoreno  Halftime:  38 - 34

Ateneo, (4-1) FEU, UP, DLSU, UE, UST (3-2) AdU, UST 2-3 NU 0-5

BROUGHT DOWN TO EARTH BY THE GOLDIES

After four consecutive wins and bringing down two big guns, the Blue Eagles were confident and eager to go and keep their distance from the other teams. Unfortunately, the University of Santo Tomas Glowing Goldies had other plans.  The game was tight and in the last two minutes, the Blue Eagles were playing catch up. With 30 seconds left, and the Blue Eagles down by two points 86 – 88 with the Blue Eagles inbounding the ball, Eric Reyes saw Alex Araneta free near the basket and threw him a pass. Gido Babilonia intercepted Eric’s long pitch to Araneta and in the ensuing play, Fedencio Oblina scored on a jumper that gave the Goldies a 90 – 86 lead with 24 seconds left. The Goldies eventually won the game 91 – 89 with Oblina scoring 16 points for the team from Espana. Since both UE and UP won over NU and La Salle respectively, there was a three-way tie once again for the top spot with the three teams sporting 4 – 2 win loss cards.

GAME 6:  UST 91- ATENEO 89

UE 96 – NU 90, AdU 87 – FEU 84, UP 123 – DLSU 109 OT

UST (91) Oblina 16, Santos 14, Jose 14, Sichon 10, Franco 8, Salvador 8, Chua 7, Babilonia 6, Tabora 4, 50-55 halftime

ATENEO (89) – Nieto 18, E. Reyes 18, Gayoso 16, Chuatico 13, G. Reyes 8, Canlas 8, Jeongco 4, Basa 2, Francisco 2, Racela 0,  Halftime:

ATENEO, UP, UE 4-2, UST 3-3, FEU, ADU, DLSU 3-4, NU 0-7

THE RIVALRY vs. DLSU

The final game in the hotly contested first round of the 1987 UAAP Men’s Basketball tournament was against the Blue Eagle’s archrivals- the De La Salle Green Archers. Although the Blue Eagles did not gain a big lead, they were confident that they had total control of the game and was never really threatened as the half ended with the Blue Eagles up by three 58 - 55.  Joey Sta. Maria scattered 30 points and Dindo Pumaren added 18 points but the Archers still lost the game as Jun Reyes, Jet Nieto, JV Gayoso and Nonoy Chuatico combined for 69 points and always doused cold water on every Green Archer uprising enroute to a 95 – 91 win. The first round of action in this year's 50th UAAP season was full of action and surprises as the Blue Eagles ended the first round tied for first with UP and UE with 5- 2 win loss cards, UST comes in fourth with a 4 – 3 slate, Adamson, FEU and DLSU occupy 5^th to 7^th slot with 3 – 4 cards and NU still winless at 0 – 7. The teams tied for first until the teams tied till seventh place is separated only by two games.   

GAME 7: DLSU 95-91

UST 92 – NU 74, UE 114 ADAMSON 98, UP 105 – FEU 104

ATENEO (95) G. Reyes 21, Nieto 21, Gayoso 14, Chuatico 13, Francisco 8, Canlas 6, E. Reyes 6, Jeongco 4, Araneta 2, Racela 0,

DLSU (91) Sta. Maria 30, Pumaren 18, Afable 10, Dinglasan 8, Monasterio 8, Del Rosario 6, Mababa 4, Bachman 4, Favis 3, Viaplana 0, Abanilla 0

Halftime: – 58-55

NEXT BLOG:  THE 1987 UAAP SEASON - SECOND ROUND

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1987 SEASON PREVIEW

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST WARRIORS

The University of the East Warriors are favored to recapture the 1987 UAAP Basketball tournament on the account that they have the most holdovers and most of them experienced more seasoning in the Philippine Amateur Basketball League.  Leading their charge is the 6’6 slotman Jerry Codinera who is the National Team’s first-string center.    Giving valuable support are their guards Vernie Villarias,  David Zamar,  Restituto Ella and Modesto Hojilla. Villarias is their most accurate three-point shooter, Zamar and Ella alternate at the point guard position while Hojlla was the Juniors MVP in 1985. Up front are Vilmer Banares, Conrado Barile, Alfred Bartolome and Jojo Mariquit. This frontline is loaded with shooters in Banares and Bartolome and inside the paint Barile, Mariquit and of course Codinera. The Warriors have called back UAAP 1960 MVP and member of their champion team Roehl Nadurata. The key factor in their return to the top is their experience and defense. 

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHIIPPINES MAROONS

If the University of the Philippines makes it to the championship round you can bet that they will win it back to back. The Maroons will rely heavily on the troika of National team mainstays Ronnie Magsanoc, Benjie Paras and Joey Guanio but will miss the services of Duane Salvatera and last year’s finals MVP Eric Altamirano who decided to forego his final year. Coach Joe Lipa has also called it quits and former Maroon Ramon Bernabe will now be calling the shots.  The only problem that the Maroons will face is that their Big 3 will be out for a minimum of three to four games and how the rest of the team will hold the fort in those games. Left to hold the fort will be their old reliables in  Ramil Cruz, Warren Clemente, Bobby Noriega,  and Chris Somera while  Jigs Mendoza and  Primo Rodriguez will be joined in the backcourt by rookies Alfie Manlulo and Lito Vergara. The Maroons will live and die by their three stars.

THE FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY TAMARAWS

The Far Eastern University Tamaraws are one of the two dark horse teams this year.  Just like the UE Warriors this team is stacked with veterans starting with 6’5 National Team campaigner Jack Tanuan who mans the middle.  Adding more firepower to the FEU offense if their exciting forwards Andy de Guzman, Ronald Carodan and Dodong Postanes who also played in the PABL and got great exposure add to that rookie forward Victor Pablo.  Unfortunately, point guard Gerry Esplana was deemed ineligible to play for the Tamaraws that somewhat dimmed their chance for a team that is complete in every position.  Doubling up in that position are Oscar Latoreno, Elias Burden and Olan Cruz while forward Teofano Tiu  and Gerardo Nicolas are the other back-up players. Calling the shots for the team from Morayta is Coach Fidel Que.  Considering that this season there are a lot of excellent point guards from the other teams, if the Tamaraws overcome their point guard woes then they can probably go all the way.

THE ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY BLUE EAGLES

The Eagles have the height by adding in 6’6 rookie center Daniel Francisco with 6’6 Alex Araneta and strong power forwards in 6’4 Eric Reyes and 6’2 Albert Mendoza. They have good shooters in Nonoy Chuatico, Joseph Canlas, Haj Jeongco and rookie Jojo Habana. They can slash through the basket with the greatest of ease with JV Gayoso, Mel Basa, Raymund Morales and Jet Nieto and they have an excellent point guard in Jun Reyes that orchestrates the Blue Eagle symphony.  Rookie Olsen Racela who comes from the Ateneo Junoirs squad is Jun’s chief reliever.  The Blue Eagles are a complete team with new Coach Cris Calilan who is a Ron Jacobs disciple. Scouts say that the Blue Eagles executes Jacob’s motion offense to perfection. The only downside is that experience is not at the side of the Blue Eagles with Jun Reyes the only one with PABL experience. But if the Eagles peak at the right time, they might dislodge one of the favored teams from the top to vie for the title.

 THE DE LA SALLE GREEN ARCHERS

The new kids are carefully rising as competitors with three solid players and a good coach but is somehow has a shallow bench.  Coming into the fray is Dindo Pumaren one of the best point guards in the amateurs. His stint with the National team helped sharpen his skills and he will be conniving with Joey Sta. Maria and Richard Bachmann to put offense for the Archers. The inside toughness of both Sta. Maria and Bachmann will definitely help the Green Archers get more wins and more importantly surprise the favored teams. Former Red Cub Teddy Monasterio is an able ball handler and scorer if given the right circumstances and so are the other Archers namely Rafa Dinglasan, Eddie Viaplana, Eric Afable , Richard del Rosario, Virgilio Mababa and rookie Binkie Favis a former La Salle Greenhills standout.

THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS GLOWING GOLDIES

Coach Aric del Rosario brought the Goldies to the title game in 1984 and 1985 but lost steam last school year when Pido Jarencio left, this year they lose ace-gunner Bennet Palad. Leading them this year is 6-5 Gido Babilonia who has been playing big in the PABL and ably backing him up is another 6-5 center Julian Rabbi Tomacruz. The forwards of the team include 6-3 Bobby Jose who gave a credible performance in the recent 1986 RP Youth tournament and Rohimust Santos. Do it all Alfrancis Chua carries the guard corps of the Goldies with Amadito Tabora and newcomer Fedencio Oblina. The Goldies are quite there and can surprise the front runners but is quite lacking in materials. The Goldies will be one of the spoilers this year but is not envisioned to make it to the finals.

THE ADAMSON UNIVERSITY FALCONS

The Falcons have excellent shooters in Nandy Garcia, Joven Banez and Juancho Estrada, good forwards in Jethro Doromal, Glen Francisco and Ronnie Cahanding. But their middle will be held by the untested Joseph Valdez and Francisco Saitanan.  Same with the lower half of the teams this team has firepower but not enough. The Loss of Louie Alas and Edgardo Valencia definitely hurt them and their frontline is in need of some help.  The Falcons are untested and should go were there scorers lead them. Nemie Villegas is the Head coach of the Falcons.  Just like DLSU and UST they can spoil any team on a given day their shooting becomes hot. 

THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY BULLDOGS

The NU Bulldogs just like the previous six years is here to complete the eight teams in the UAAP. No chance at all to even make it about of the cellar but have scorers in Jerry Rey, Rey Artificio, Patricio Matias and Alex Divino. Conditioning is suspect and so is consistency. Coaching the Bulldogs is Sonny Paguia who doesn’t even remember when was the last time their team won a game in the UAAP. Good luck to the Bulldogs.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

The most important item of the season is that the players of the National Team will be our for at least two to three games. That means if the team remaining wont hold the fort then it might spell doom to the favored teams. The teams with National players are the UP Maroons with three - Ronnie Magsanoc, Benjie Paras, Joey Guanio, UE Warriors with one - Jerry Codinera and DLSU Green Archers with one - Dindo Pumaren.

NEXT BLOG ENTRY: THE 1987 UAAP SEASON: FIRST ROUND

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THE REINFORCEMENTS

Playing guard, wearing jersey  #11 

from St. John's Institute of Bacolod

Please welcome NONOY CHUATICO

Bacolod is one of the most progressive and elite cities in the country and more than its famous tourist destinations its very affectionate , fun loving and smiling people makes this city truly a place you can call heaven on earth. The city of smiles has also been a haven of rising basketball stars and the Blue Eagles have always been on a look out after discovering Nonoy Baclao who led his West Negros University team to the Unigames title in 2005. Although the Eagles missed out on Kib Montalbo of St. John’s Institute in 2013, they more than made up for it by recruiting another Bacolodnon, SJ Belangel,  from Tay Tung for the Blue Eaglets who eventually  committed to being an eagle.  St. John’s Institute first won the Negros Occidental Private Schools Sports Cultural Educational Association (NOPSCEAA) Juniors title during the 1981 – 1982 season with their star player and MVP averaging more than 30 points and that sweet shooting high scorer was Emilio “Nonoy” Chuatico.  It really helped that Nonoy’s sister Chao, the first woman editor in chief of Guidon,   was already at the Ateneo. At the same time his older brother Paul was already a member of the Blue Eagles that was why his transition with Blue Eagles seemed seamless as they blasted the UP Maroons 98 – 68 with him, Chot Reyes, Dean Castano and Jonel Ladaban scoring in double figures.  That season UP would have swept the UAAP but was unfortunate enough to lose only twice – to Ateneo.  While his basketball skills were on high gear, adjusting to life in college and balancing academics was quite the problems he encountered in his first year at the hill. Nonoy eventually fixed his academics but it took him a while to do so. When Nonoy came back there was already a three point line to complement his shooting.  In the times that he played every time he caught a pass from the three point line everyone was raising their arms signaling a three point shot. During the 1987 season he punished the tamaraws for leaving him open and when he got hot he punished them more by scorching the hoops with 31 points. His last game donning the Blue & White came when the UAAP champs played other champs from around the country and they played toe to toe with the South Western University Cobras that featured Roberto Jabar Jr., Calvin Tuadles and Primitivo Mutya.  The gym in Davao where they played was so packed that people were already sitting on the basketball floor and people needed to move when someone was taking the ball out of bounds. That game was one for the books as Nonoy caught a pass from the three-point line and let fly a three that found its way to the bottom of the net. That signified the end of an illustrious Blue Eagle career that saw him average 19.30 points per game in 1987 season. Nonoy was there when the Eagles were struggling for an identity and he capped it all up by leading the Blue Eagles to their first ever UAAP title!

Playing the Forward position, wearing jersey #11

from Marist School of Marikina 

Please welcome MEL BASA

Back in the day, the employees of Meralco had a baseball team composed of their kids and it was s sight seeing Jerry, Harmon and Pat Codinera play in that league. Others who joined them were future tennis standouts Jake and Jennifer Saberon and future Blue Eagle Remil "Mel" Basa and his brothers. Since he was into baseball, Mel got into the varsity school and he represented the Marist school in Marikina. In his senior year in High school, he got recruited to play for their basketball team because of his height and he said YES because for him it was better playing basketball since its indoors unlike baseball which was always under the sun.  Mel went on to represent his school again in the PRADA basketball competitions and went up against Ateneo, La Salle Greenhils and San Beda. After High school, Mel got accepted to the Ateneo and got word that there are going to be tryouts for the Men's basketball team. Mel's father had an officemate whose brother (Tino Estella) was playing for the Blue Eagles and he got word that the Senior's team will be conducting open tryouts for walk-in players. Mel tried out and he was fortunate enough to make the team together with three other rookies - Jong Vicencio who came from Ateneo de Davao, Ricky Farinas who came from Ilocos and Gene Louis Afable. Mel toiled hard to keep his spot in the team and he got a lot of encouragement from his coach, his teammates and most specially his dad. Like every rookie and sophomore, one must get acclimatized with the rigorous practices and training so that you can familiarize yourself with the system, defense and conditioning. Usually coaches would play the seniors most of the time and the make the rookies and sophomores get a little exposure depending on their development. This was what Mel went through but he kept himself ready every game. In fact, one of his teammates Nonoy Chuatico encouraged him to take extra jump shots to improve his offense which made them go to the gym a little bit earlier before their team practices.  Adjustments were hard in those days since Mel came in 1984 there was no three point line yet and in 1985 the amateur community adopted the three-point field goal line. Eventually Mel was inserted in some games and when the 1987 season came along, he was one of them dependable role players coming off the bench, hustling on defense and shooting an occasional three pointer or even dunk the ball on a fastbreak.  In his final game in the UAAP he was one of the starters at the small forward position against the De La Salle University Green Archers. Mel is a testament that patience and hardwork  does pay off. 

Eric Reyes was a big part of this LSGH National Inter-Secondary Champion Team
 that beat San Beda led by Benjie Paras
Picture from Joey Guanio's FB Page

In the 1985-86 school year the best player to come out of the Juniors division was another Ato Badolato disciple in Benjie Paras. The past two years saw Paras tear down the juniors division by beating every team in its way including ALL Ateneo Juniors squads until they lost to the La Salle Greenhills Greenies in the National Inter-secondary  Basketball Tournament. That team was led by the sweet shooting Joey Guanio the scoring of Ricky Henson, the quarterbacking of Binky Favis and the inside presence of Eric Reyes. That win sent waves to the college recruiters and one college coach that took notice was Coach Joe Lipa of UP. Coach Joe invited Eric and Joey to UP for their tryouts and Eric was there for a few practices and he liked it there. Imagine the Maroons having a frontline of Benjie Paras, Eric Reyes, Joey Mendoza together with Ramil Cruz, Ronnie Magsanoc, Eric Altamirano and Duane Salvaterra and Joey Guanio! But come decision time, Eric’s father wanted him to either matriculate in DLSU or Ateneo. Since Eric came from La Salle Greenhills it would have been a wise decision to stay at Taft. Since his dad went to the Ateneo Grade School back then, Eric gave Ateneo a try. He contacted another former La Salle Greenie, Llen Mumar who transferred to Ateneo for college and Eric went to the tryout to see if he can crack the Ateneo line up. Gearing up for the 1986 UAAP season, Eric became a welcome addition to the team. He was met with open arms by Jun Reyes, Jet Nieto and the rest of the Blue Eagles. Never in his mind did it come to him that he was going to play for the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Sensing that the Blue Eagles were putting together a team that can contend in the next few years, Eric transferred his talents to Katipunan and became a vital cog of the Blue Eagles’ drive to give the Ateneo Back to Back UAAP Men’s Basketball titles. His friends from La Salle were shocked with his decision but Eric was firm with what he wanted and suited up for the Blue and white. He recalls that in his first game against La Salle in 1986 some of his friends distanced themselves from him because of him changing his colors from green to blue but Eric did not get his emotions get in the way whenever he played his former alma mater. He scored 5 points in his first game against La Salle in 1986 and by the second round of 1987 he punished them by scoring 30.  

In 1983 Reinier "Haj" Jeongco was one of four rookies of that squad while Gene Louise Afable arrived in 1984. Both players  helped out the team on defense and offense when needed and their role were primarily to relieve the first stringers and give them some rest. Haj is the high leaping 6’0 small forward who played High school ball in Moline High School in Illinois, USA. Gene on the other hand is a 6'0 guard who is also a high leaper and was a member of the 1983 Letran team that won the NCAA Juniors title. Nonoy, Mel, Eric, Haj and Gene were the only reinforcements the team got from other high school programs.

 

The last of the reinforcements that helped the Blue Eagles cause were Ateneans who gave a lot of support to the team. First is Ernest Escaler who at that time was a young Businessman who set up Gourmet coffee – the first branded coffee from the Philippines to make it big here and abroad. There was also Gourmet Farms, the first to commercially produce organic vegetables in the Philippines. Since one of his classmates at the Ateneo then was coaching the Ateneo Blue Eagles, he was asked if he could help out the team. He obliged and he took care of many needs of the team from shoes, vitamins, uniforms, food and many more stuff that made the players focus more on basketball and not get distracted on other things that they need. Next is Ricky Palou who was once a champion Blue Eaglet and champion Blue Eagle in the NCAA. He and Ernest Escaler were always there to help out the Blue Eagles on whatever they needed. There was a time they needed help for their training, Football coach Chris Monfort and former Blue Eagles trainer Cary Sevilla lent their expertise to be able to give conditioning tips and sessions to the Blue Eagles. Then there’s the Silver Jubilarians who helped gather the Alumni and give them hope that 1987 is the year that the Blue Eagles will be redeemed. They were there to reinforce the team and the community and gave the boost that it needed.

NEXT BLOG: 1987 SEASON PREVIEW

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THE BUILD-UP: The 1985 - 1986 Blue Eaglets

THE 1985 ATENEO JUNIORS TEAM

After the monumental success of the 1984 team it was time now for a coaching change and the Ateneo High School got a former champion player who can translate his experience to a team filled with new players and that is Coach Ogie Narvasa.  Ogie is the ideal Atenean, eloquent and articulate, he is also a workhorse on the court. He is the type of Coach who loves to teach and more importantly pass on to the next generation of Ateneans his basketball knowledge and Ateneo traditions. Although he was part of the “demoralized” era when the Ateneo made the switch from the once glamorous NCAA to the not so glamorous UAAP, he never hesitated to say yes to his alma mater when it was in need him, a genuine man for others! At the same time helping him train the players is the trainer of champions Cary Sevilla.

Mike Morales stops to pass the ball

The 1985 junior’s squad had a nice mix of new players that complemented the holdovers. Team Captain Randy Sevilla, Albert Mendoza and Jun Oledan were the only remaining players of the team that went perfect the previous year. The team is loaded with shooters in Alex Panlilio, Mannix Singson,  Jobe Buenviaje,and  Mike Morales. Slashers in Pal Lansigan, Jyden Arboleda, Nilo Siongco and  Raymund Morales another big guy in Rico Santiago, the point guard of the future Billy Del Rosario and their glue guy and Mr. Do it all Chris Huertas.  Unlike the previous year, this edition of the Blue Eaglets were not favored to win the title.  The frontrunners then were the Adamson Falcons led by the high scoring Romulo “Karl Mulong” Orillosa who scored 40 points almost at will. The UE Junior Pages were also in the talks because of eventual juniors MVP Modesto Hojilla. Lasty there is also the FEU Baby Tamaraws with the Baby tamaraw himself Elias Burden. 

Mannix to the rescue

The Blue Eaglets were trying to survive the first round as they lost two games against UST and UE and ended the round with a 4 – 2 win loss slate.  Coach Ogie Narvasa told the team that they cannot afford to lose another game for they will bid their championship aspirations goodbye if that happens. So in their last game in the first round against the then undefeated FEU Baby Tamaraws, the Blue Eaglets fought them tooth and nail and were down by two with a couple of seconds left. As mentioned, the three-point line was introduced this season and Mannix Singson took advantage of that as he sank a three pointer that saved the day for the Eaglets.  That win gave the Blue Eaglets the needed confidence and spunk they lacked in the first round. By the second round, Team Captain Randy Sevilla led the team’s surge to the finals as the Blue Eaglet’s offense just clicked and their defense was relentless which gave the Katipunan team their third straight championship by defeating the FEU Baby Tamarawas in the championship. In retrospect, this team was very raw but Coach Ogie Narvasa’s experience as a champion himself gave the players the mindset on how to become champions and that is to become a cohesive unit that the team achieved from the second round onwards.

THE 1986 ATENEO JUNIORS TEAM

When the tryouts for the 1986 UAAP juniors team came everyone was excited once again because not only were there new blood coming from the other junior ranks but also a new Coach was coming in – Chot Reyes.  The new team captain now was Mike Morales and together with Jobe Buenviaje, Billy del Rosario and Rico Santiago welcomed the new team with open hands.  Elevated from the PRADA team then was a thin senior sometimes called as the lean stringbean machine – Danny Francisco.  Danny Francisco's first venture into sports was competitive swimming.  He used to swim at the Valle Verde country club under the Lozada school of swimming. What got him started into playing basketball was the fact that the classrooms in grade school was surrounded by basketball courts and during our time we would use the remaining time of recess and lunch to play basketball. Swimming’s loss is basketball’s gain as Danny got accepted in the PAYA team and he developed his shooting skills as a forward back then. In one summer, Danny grew from 5’7 to 6’1 and played for the PAYA aspirants and PRADA teams as an underclassman. He eventually made it to the UAAP juniors team in his fourth year in High school.  On the other hand, Jojo Habana was one of the new power forwards of the team and was beast inside the paint. His superb leaping ability and athleticism helps him operate inside the paint with the greatest of ease. Another addition to the team came from Lourdes grade school and worked his way up to the Juniors team because of his playmaking and defense. The hardworking Olsen Racela was never flashy nor was he a scoring machine but the way he orchestrates the team’s offense and the way he shuts down the other team’s guard earned the nod of Coach Chot. Supporting Mike Morales in the shooting department are do it all guards Patrick Ildefonso and Vincent Cruz. Another speedster at the point guard position is Alfie Manlulo who can score and call out plays when needed.  If the team needs slashers then theres Romy Merino, Darren Javier and Aaron de Guzman while Edwin Galicia is the other big man coming off the bench.

 

Another reason that made the 1986 UAAP season exciting was that it was the first year of the Dela Salle Zobel Bengals. With Chot Reyes at the helm, the 1986 Blue Eaglets team were probably the most prepared team in the league. Chot would break down defensive assignments, offensive patterns and let the players visualize what would happen. The result was annihilation of all their opponents. Their patented fastbreak anchored on Danny Francisco getting the rebound and hitting Billy del Rosario with a baseball pass that always translated to two points.  The first round saw the Blue Eaglets wreak havoc as the Eaglets running game, unforgiving defense and superb three point shooting gave the team from Katipunan a seven – zero first round win loss record.  What made the season more exciting was the Ateneo vs Las Salle 2nd round encounter and a close fight was in the offing as the Bengals fought toe to toe with the Blue Eaglets. The game was so hotly contested that saw a La salle player go below Billy del Rosario while he was catching the ball that led to Billy falling down head first. A fight almost ensued as the crowd, including the bus load of DLSZ students that came to watch were all ready to mix it up. Eventually the game resumed and the Blue Eaglets went to business and buried the Bengals with a flurry of points that had them win more than 20 points. Although everyone predicted a sweep and the finals game against Adamson which was a rout looked anti-climatic, we will always take 14 – 0 everyday as the Blue Eaglets completed the four-peat in stunning fashion.

After a successful campaign in the juniors division, most of the graduating players from the Blue Eaglets tried out for the seniors team. Danny Francisco and Jojo Habana were immediately taken in while the others were cut from the team including Olsen Racela. JV Gayoso eventually finished his one year residency, Albert Mendoza and Raymund Morales were activated after serving as reserves in their freshman year together with two more point guards. There was a logjam at the point guard position considering that the Blue Eagles were about to get another point guard from UST so Olsen was let go. Racela then tried out with the UP Maroons and again he was cut.  Since Olsen passed the ACET he decided to concentrate on his studies and let go of his dream of becoming a Blue Eagle.But sometimes lady luck comes calling back as Racela was called back to tryout once again with barely weeks to go before the opening of the 1987-1988 school year.  Apparently, the two reserved point guards encountered academic problems while the third point guard they were inviting from UST stayed in Espana. Now the management then were looking for a player to back up Jun Reyes and since Olsen was a part of the 1986 juniors team and was already accepted at the Ateneo they gave him another look. Now Olsen is the master of second chances, he was originally cut from the Paya aspirants team when he was a freshman in High School but toiled hard to be noticed then eventually included in the line-up. Olsen is an old school point guard who distributes the ball well, is pesky on defense and lets his offense flow as the game progresses. With that Olsen became the 14^th member of the 1987 Ateneo Blue Eagles.

NEXT BLOG: THE REINFORCEMENTS

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