UAAP 71 Finals – Game 1
September 21, 2008 at 4pm
Araneta Coliseum
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DEFENDING champion De La Salle University’s road to another title got off to a wrong start, thanks to its archrivals from Katipunan.
Ateneo de Manila, already assured of the top spot and the first twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four, played with a purpose and gave the Green Archers a sound beating, 65-57 to relegate its nemesis to a virtual best-of-three tiff against Far Eastern University in the Final Four of the 71st UAAP men’s basketball tournament last September 6, 2008 at the Araneta Coliseum.
As a result, the Archers will have to take on the Tamaraws at least two more times if they are to secure their place in this year’s finals.
In front of nearly 22,200 fans, the Blue Eagles did not play like a squad content with their standing. Instead, they were relentless from the opening tip, racing to a 16-4 lead in the first quarter.
The Eagles managed to ground DLSU chief gunner JV Casio, who struggled all game and missed all but two of his 16 field goal attempts. The usually cool and steady guard failed to catch fire, due in part to a seemingly slippery pair of shoes and more so the stingy defense put up by coach Norman Black’s wards.
Ateneo continued to pummel the Green Archers in the third period, where it posted a game-high 15-point edge, 54-39, on back-to-back baskets by Eric Salamat inside the two-minute mark. Watching the Archers execute their offense seemed like an eye sore for the Green and White faithful.
However, DLSU coach Franz Pumaren, who returned from Iran after steering the Nokia Pilipinas Youth basketball team to a respectable 7th place in the FIBA Asia Junior Championships, begged to differ.
“Ateneo played good defense, no question about it,” said Pumaren. “It was a tight game until Ateneo tightened up its screws and we couldn’t find ways to crack that defense. But we’ll be back and we should concentrate now on our next game against FEU.”
Eagles slotman Rabeh Al-Hussaini shone once more, scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead his unit to a 13-1 elimination round record, the highest Ateneo has ever posted since notching the same slate in 1987.
“The game has no bearing for us but we wanted to win it for the Ateneo community. Our defense bailed us out in the end,” said Black, whose team will face the University of the East Red Warriors in the semis.
The Green Archers moved closer to 33-36 thanks to a Simon Atkins three-pointer. But Al-Hussaini and Nonoy Baclao joined forces to lead a Blue Eagle breakaway.
The last time La Salle threatened was at 57-62, after Rico Maierhofer banged in a trey. But Ateneo countered with Baclao scoring on an impressive undergoal stab off Maierhofer to extend the Eagles’ edge to 64-57, with 2:28 remaining.
Baclao contributed 11 markers, six boards and four blocks while Jai Reyes added 10 markers for the three-time UAAP champions.
Maierhofer was the lone bright spot for La Salle, chipping in 16 points and hauling down 10 rebounds.
The scores:
Ateneo 65 – Al-Hussaini 18, Baclao 11, Reyes 10, Tiu 9, Salamat 8, Baldos 4, Escueta 3, Buenafe 2, Austria 0, Burke 0, Salva 0.
De La Salle 57 – Maierhofer 16, Atkins 9, Barua 8, Malabes 7, Casio 5, Mangahas 4, Villanueva 4, Ferdinand 2, Walsham 2, Bagatsing 0, Revilla 0, Webb 0.
Quarter scores: 21-12; 36-28; 54-41; 65-57
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Reposted from here.
Yeah! Not once. But twice this season!
Ateneo Blue Eagles vs. De La Salle Green Archers
Round 2 UAAP 71
September 6, 2008 (Saturday) 4pm
Araneta Coliseum
See you there!
ATENEO de Manila will be the top seeds heading into this year’s Final Four.
The Blue Eagles found National University an easier prey than they did last season after an 83-58 triumph to formally secure their twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinal round of the 71st UAAP men’s basketball tournament last August 30, 2008 at the Philsports Arena.
Ateneo masterfully executed its game plan against NU in the early goings, sprinting to an 18-5 first quarter advantage.
The Blue Eagles, though, evoked memories of their bitter defeat against the same Bulldogs quintet last season that cost them the twice-to-beat cushion. They squandered a 16-point first quarter lead and found themselves trailing by one, 31-32, inside the four-minute mark of the second period.
But the perimeter troika of Chris Tiu, Jai Reyes and Eric Salamat conspired for one big play after another to turn a close encounter into a full-blown rout.
Tiu completed a three-point play, Reyes knocked in a triple and Salamat scored a breakaway bucket at the halftime buzzer as Ateneo posted a 49-37 lead after the first 20 minutes of action.
Ateneo continued its solid showing for the rest of the second half. A Salamat basket put the Blue and White up by 15, 65-50 with 8:14 in the fourth period. Norman Black’s wards even extended the advantage to 21 points on six straight points by Rabeh Al-Hussaini, the last of which came in the 5:14 mark of the final quarter.
The Katipunan outfit managed to keep its cool for the duration of the game as well. In the early part of the first quarter, NU center Raymond Aguilar was meted an unsportsmanlike foul after elbowing Ryan Buenafe in a loose-ball situation. Edwin Asoro was then assessed with the same foul in a play with Ateneo forward Nonoy Baclao, who was then warned by the officials for “trash-talking.”
Although the showdown against De La Salle will not be a no-bearing game for his squad, Black said he will use this game as a fitting way to prepare for the tougher battles in the Final Four.
“People will come there to watch and see how Ateneo and La Salle will fight it out,” said Black. “Every Ateneo-La Salle game is like a championship bout, so expect everything in that game.”
It will be an important game for La Salle as it is in the hunt for the last of the two twice-to-beat advantages in the semifinals.
“They’re going all out in our next game. But we need these kinds of games to sharpen us for the semifinals,” Black said.
Al-Hussaini paced the Blue Eagles with 20 points and six boards, while Tiu, Salamat and Reyes all scored in double-digits.
NU, meanwhile, which fell to 2-11, was bannered by Asoro’s 19 points.
The scores:
Ateneo 83 – Al-Hussaini 20, Tiu 16, Salamat 12, Reyes 11, Buenafe 9, Baclao 4, Nkemakolam 4, Long 3, Burke 2, Salva 2, Baldos 0, Chua 0, Escueta 0, Gonzaga 0.
NU 58 – Asoro 19, Galapon 7, Luy 7, Jahnke 6, Aguilar 4, Tungcul 4, Berry 3, Batac 2, Catamora 2, Garcia 2, Magat 2, dela Cruz 0, Ponferrada 0.
Quarter scores: 26-16; 49-37; 61-48; 83-58
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Original article here.