Ateneo’s fifth title in a row is won with their “5″
My postgame thoughts on Ateneo's gutsy 65-62 Game 2 win that sealed their place in history.
Greg Slaughter owned Karim Abdul. It was only fitting that Ateneo's fifth consecutive UAAP Senior's title was won by its "5" or center, Greg Slaughter. He did a demolition job on his opposite number that Karim Abdul won't soon forget.
True, UST's Cameroonian did lead all players with 12 rebounds, and pitched in with some neat jumpers. But make no mistake about it; Greg Slaughter was his Daddy all game long, with some helpful foster parenting from Justin Chua and Frank Golla. With 2:50 to go in the first quarter Slaughter partially blocked an Abdul shot, and that set the tone for the afternoon. Abdul was forced to snipe from the outside because Ateneo's bigs were making life a living hell for him.
When Slaughter picked up his third foul early in the third stanza, Justin Chua picked up where Slaughter left off, bodying up on the Tigers center and generally being a pain in the behind.
The Slaughter-Abdul matchup provided the pivotal turning point of the game. Up 57-51 deep in the fourth quarter Greg posted up against Karim and pushed back, back, and back some more like a 10-wheeler reversing over a Picanto. Slaughter turned and bullied his way to the basket and just like that, the Eagles were up 59-51, the biggest lead of the game. If one play told the whole story of the game, that was it.
Karim finished with eight points on 4 for 18 shooting, half his average. Astonishingly, Abdul misfired on all five of his free throw attempts.
Slaughter's line was prettier: 15 points on 50% shooting, 5-for8 from the stripe and 11 rebounds, four from the offensive boards.
The matchup reminded me of 2009, when Ateneo's Rabeh Al-Husseini comprehensively outclassed UE's Pari Llagas in Game 3 of that year's Finals.
Ateneo played the selfless, team-oriented Basketball that UST could not conjure up. My favorite play was with about 1:30 to go in the second quarter. The Blue Eagles whip up three passes in dizzying speed that completely befuddle the Tigers. The rock ends up with Nico Salva unmarked under the basket and he has the easiest of layups as Ateneo goes ahead 26-25.
Then in the third quarter Ryan Buenafe unspooled the prettiest of bullet passes to Justin Chua, who converted for a 44-42 lead. I thought I was watching Tom Brady, quarterback of the NFL's New England Patriots laser the pigskin to a wide receiver. Buenafe led his team with five assists.
Then on the next play it's Justin Chua who flips the ball over to Ravena for the most artful of reverse layups. Not surprisingly, Ateneo out-assisted their opponents 15-10.
Give credit to the UST Tigers, who are a team just short of greatness, but blessed with abundant heart. UST is significantly, measurably, inferior to Ateneo in so many ways. They aren't as good up front. Their bench is nowhere near as deep as Ateneo's. They don't have a consistent scorer like Kiefer Ravena.
But this season, in four bruising encounters, they refused to believe that they were the weaker team against the champs. That belief almost drove them to a title, but they fall short.
Ateneo controlled the tempo of the game but the Tigers clawed back in the end to within 59-56 with under four minutes to play.
This UST team is like Phil Mickelson to Ateneo's Tiger Woods. In another era, perhaps they win more titles. But not in this heady time of Ateneo dominance.
Kiefer Ravena's legend grows. Ravena led all scorers with 22 points, 2 more than Jeric Fortuna, who ended his College hoops career in spectacular fashion.
Ravena shot 7-15 for 46%, and did it in a manner that left many slack-jawed. How can you forget that circus shot that he displayed to start the fourth quarter? A strange and wondrous improvised scooping/faking/have-a-seat-in-the-air gem that prompted commentator Boom Gonzales to breathlessly spout "I don't know if that shot is even legal!"
Kiefer also showed some class in taping the number 10 on the heels of his low-cut green-and blue shoes. "It's for Poy Erram" he told me. Erram, Ateneo's usual back up center, blew out his knee during the season and missed the finals.
Moments later the guard scrambled into the patron seats to give his mom, Mozzy, a big hug and a kiss.
Was it just me or did UST's Kim Kaizen Lo have a great first quarter and then enter the Witness Protection Program right after? Lo kept the Tigers in the game in the first quarter, at one point hitting eight straight points with two treys. Then he vanished into thin air. Why, Coach Pido? Why did you not give him a chance later on? Perhaps Jarencio just couldn't trust his bench in crunch time.
As good as this game was, the one before it was better. FEU wins the Juniors crown over the NU Bullpups in a triple-overtime 113-109 thriller that delayed the entrance for the spectators of the seniors game by maybe 45 minutes. It just might be one of the greatest Basketball games I have ever watched.
With 3.7 ticks to go in OT and his team down by two, John Paul Cauilan of NU has two free throws. Does the sophomore choke? Of course not. He bloodlessly drains both shots, each of them a perfect swish, to force another five minutes. Amazing.
Naturally NU extended the game for a third time with a late triple in the second extension. In the final overtime FEU's Roger Domingo settles it with two of his five treys. Basketball doesn't get better than this.
Ateneo's victory was special. For me. Ever since I started covering UAAP for Rebound Magazine in 2009, I have been on the court when Ateneo has won the title, with the exception of one year. I was once a massive Blue Eagles fan, but the ardor has cooled over the years as the team has become so dominant. This one was different. Tears flowed when I sang the alma mater song. It was the fourth time I had cried during Ateneo UAAP games. The first was in 1993 when we snapped a 7-game losing streak to La Salle on the last game before I graduated. The second was in 2002 when Jec Chia won the game against UE. The third was when FEU dethroned us the following year.
This title makes me think of the Jesuit ideal of "magis" or "the more." The standard of excellence that Ateneans strive for. We often fall short, but not this team. They gave us more heart, more skill, and more good memories than ever before.
It's a win for the ages. And a fitting farewell to Norman Black.
You can follow Bob on Twitter @bhobg333.
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