Ateneo falls to UE, and this one hurts

This was supposed to be the battle between the two wounded dogs.

Ateneo and UE met last Wednesday in the Mall of Asia Arena with identical 1-3 slates. Two teams hounded by injuries, suspensions, and inconsistent play. Ateneo, the defending UAAP champs, UE the reigning Fil-Oil titleists, both with high expectations for this season.

The loser of this game would be on the outside looking in for a final four bid as early as now. The winner would have momentum and could even finish the first round with a winning record.

When the dust cleared UE came out on top, 72-68 to regain some footing. For Ateneo, it's yet another stinging setback for what is slowly turning into a nightmarish season.

The Red Warriors' big hero was the hulking Charles Mammie. Absent because of a suspension in the last game, a loss to UST, the Sierra Leonian was the man for UE, scoring twenty points and roping in 23 rebounds in 38 minutes of action. His 23 boards were more than double the next-closest player's output, Ateneo's Chris Newsome, who pulled down 11.

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In fact, Mammie's offensive board count, 12, was even better than Newsome's rebounding total.

Poy Erram and Frank Golla are useful centers, but on Wednesday they looked like finesse big men, devoid of the heft and nastiness to run with someone like Mammie. (Erram finished with six rebounds, Golla five.) Ateneo really missed Greg Slaughter, but one wonders if even Slaughter could have handled Mammie with the way he played.

Mammie's domination in the paint probably makes Ateneo scouts want to take the next flight to Yaoundé, in search for a sixteen-year old honor student who also happens to be 6'8” and in possession of a decent catalog of post moves.

Mammie's key moment: with under twenty seconds left UE is only up by two when the big fella is sent to the line.

The UE center bit the collar of his shirt and just looked a bit iffy as he waited to shoot. Earlier in the game he had struggled from the stripe.

But Mammie buckled down and iced the game by swishing both attempts, making it a two-possession game. Three unsuccessful Ateneo heaves later, the buzzer sounded.

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UE gutted out this victory in spite of a subpar afternoon from Roi Sumang, who scored fourteen points but wasn't at his best. The Tondo kid hit only one of this three-bomb attempts and finished with a field goal percentage of just 31.5%.

UE's secondary hero was Lord Casajeros, who chipped in eight points offensively, but his biggest contributions were on the defensive end.

Time and time again Boyzie Zamar employed Casajeros to perform a defensive demolition job on whichever dangerous Atenean was on the hardwood, whether it be Kiefer Ravena, Juami Tiongson, or Von Pessumal.

“He stepped up and played heads-up Basketball” said Zamar, in praise of the Lord.

Casajeros' energy and quickness can take some credit for a pedestrian outing for Kiefer Ravena, who did score 11 points in 24 minutes, but was an unimpressive one for five from two point range.

Ravena also made three uncharacteristically bad passes in a short span of time in the first half, all resulting in turnovers. Clearly his injury layoff has affected either his timing or his confidence or both. Ateneo needs him back at his “A” game and quickly.

Juami Tiongson's stellar third quarter, when he detonated four treys, and Von Pessumal's steady play (12 points, five for eight from the field, two triples in just eighteen minutes) gives Ateneo some hope, but the fairy dust is gone from the Blue and White thus far.

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Things are happening that aren't supposed to happen to Ateneo, like Tiongson getting fouled out on an offensive foul on, you guessed it, Lord Casajeros. Ryan Buenafe turning his ankle in the first half and entering the witness protection program soon after. (He finished with four markers.) Kiefer's sprayed passes.

This wretched run of form only makes Ateneo's five-peat all the more remarkable in retrospect.
Meanwhile UE is 2-3 and right back in the thick of things, but you wouldn't know if from Zamar's postgame media interview.

“Mga bata, masyadong emotional” said Zamar. “Too many warnings, technical fouls (although UE didn't commit any Ts against Ateneo.)” The veteran coach knows that this team is still a work in progress.

“Ateneo has pride. We have egos. Na-deflate ang mga egos nila (during Ateneo's third-quarter run that turned a 37-31 deficit into a 54-all stalemate at the start of the fourth.) Buti naman they woke up at the right time.”

UE plays DLSU next, while the Blue Eagles tangle with UP on Sunday. Coach Bo Perasol probably wishes he could play the Maroons five times in a row right now.

The curtain seems to be dropping on Ateneo's run of UAAP dominance unless things turn around quickly.

Follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.