Burning Questions Part 1: A new UAAP Champion?

(Photo Credit: Mico Ongkeko, The GUIDON)

Game 1 is now history. All “What-if” questions and shoulda coulda woulda are now moot, as the Ateneo Blue Eagles pulled off a 76-70 win in a highly physical game against the De La Salle Green Archers to take a 1-0 lead. The game has been broken down in Quick Fire, so let us briefly answer the questions laid out for the two teams prior to the finals, as well as ask some new questions heading into game 2.

ATENEO BLUE EAGLES

The big men did not exactly stay away from foul trouble, but they definitely have their fingerprints all over the game. Chibueze Ikeh fouled out in the fourth quarter with 4 points, 5 rebounds and a +/- of -3, but did an AMAZING job of being Ben Mbala's primary defender, holding the soon to be crowned Back-to back MVP to 8 points, with only a 3/7 FG%. ICE-aac Go (Thank you Pancho Badiola for the nickname idea) scored 5 points all game long, a stark contrast of what he did against FEU but hit the biggest shot of the game in the dying seconds to rectify his missed shot (and seal Game 1) in the second round against the Archers. Aaron Black and Anton Asistio snapped out of their respective shooting slumps to contribute (7 points in 6 minutes, all in the first quarter for Aaron and 10 points, 6 in the 3rd quarter for Anton). They did not panic when La Salle threatened to close out the gap, even leading 59-58 at one point.

Defensively, the most impressive thing that the Blue Eagles did is to limit Ben Mbala's scoring to 8 points, his lowest scoring output IN HIS CAREER (not just this season, mind you). They also shut down the scoring of defensive headache Ricci Rivero to 10 points, and let the Archers shoot themselves out of the lead. The Blue Eagles also held La Salle scoreless in the last 2:32 of the game, a payback of sorts in the second round.

Major props go to Matt Nieto who had a Willis Reed-esque comeback (Paul Pierce for you young ones) after having his forehead opened by an inadvertent (yes Ateneans, it was accidental. It happens.) elbow by Mbala. His twin brother also deserves recognition for lifting the Ateneo offense in the second half by attacking the paint relentlessly.

Here are the questions heading into game 2:

1. Is the defense against Ben Mbala sustainable?

This is the big story that got both camps talking. Holding UAAP's best player to 8 points after averaging 26 points per game in the Elimination round is nothing short of spectacular. Letting him attempt 7 shots is a miracle. A mixture of double and triple (!) teams limited Mbala's shots, forcing the kickout pass to the open man shooting the lower percentage shot. It worked in game 1, but it came with a price. Both Ikeh and Go were in foul trouble as early as the third quarter, limiting the offensive and defensive quality of their play on the court. Isaac Go in particular was severely limited as he only attempted 3 shots, just 1 from behind the arc.

Ben Mbala is still the primary threat to the title coming home with the Blue Eagles to Katipunan. Expect the Archers to adjust and look for him more in game 2, being more aggressive and therefore fetching more fouls from Ateneo. His mere presence alone is enough to erase whatever lead Ateneo had and keep the game close. Ikeh and Go need to reprise their roles as primary defenders, with the guards clogging the passing lanes or the forwards banging bodies with him to give him a harder time to shoot (or force to pass to an open green shirt).

The Blue Eagles also need to attack Ben's defense a bit more, since there are times where he seems to rely more on his athleticism than timing when contesting field goals. Early foul troubles can pull him out of the game, forcing Aldin Ayo to field in Abu Tratter and Justine Baltazar for long stretches.

2. Will we see the same physicality from the Blue Eagles in game 2?

Tab Baldwin expressed before game 1 that his Blue Eagles will be the aggressors in the match, pushing forward and testing what the officials would allow. Ateneo attacked the rim (42 of Ateneo's field goal attempts were 2 pointers) and were rewarded 30 free throws for their trouble (converting 20, for a 66.7 FT%). Ateneo capitalized on La Salle's penchant for gambling on defense, trying to swipe for the steal. This was pivotal as in the 2 losses of La Salle this season, the 3-point bomb was a potent weapon.

	3FG in wins against DLSU	3FG in losses against DLSU
ATENEO	9/28 (32.14%)	9/28 (32.14%)
UP	16/35 (45.71%)	9/32 (28.13%)

In game 1 of the finals, Ateneo shot 6/22 (27.27%) from three, 2 of which coming from wide open attempts from Asistio in the fourth quarter. Ateneo survived by hitting their free throws more consistently. It also helped that Ateneo grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, compared to La Salle's 13.

Ateneo had a tighter defense, bodying their defensive assignments up more. Ateneo usually plays defense with their feet, forcing bad passes with movement. This time, they took the fight physically and were bumping a bit more to throw off Aldin Ayo's motion offense. They also took every hit that DLSU was dishing out. Matt Nieto and Anton Asistio were bloodied up by wayward elbows, and Anton was even bleeding from Melecio's pinchgate scandal (Yes La Salle, that was a pinch. Even if you contest that it was a jersey pull, it would still be an unsportsmanlike foul). Expect a highly physical Game 2, something the fans have not seen in quite a while in the UAAP.

3. Will the Ateneo Blue Eagles finish this in 2 games?

In Ateneo's 5-peat run, Coach Norman Black seemed to pull something new out of nowhere in the postseason to skate over the competition offensively and defensively. As a result, the Blue Eagles are 10-1 in their finals games, losing only once to UE in 2009. Last Saturday, we saw a glimpse of that tactical adjustment as Coach Tab fielded in a much more physical defensive scheme, along with some smart isolation plays from Thirdy Ravena (if Thirdy attempted this in tight situations in the elimination round, his ass would be glued to the bench faster than you can say “Give me the ball”). Ateneo also had 16 fast break points, more than their 9.0/game clip in the eliminations. Coach Sandy Arespacochaga would be the integral part of the coaching staff, as he served as assistant in 6 of Ateneo's 8 championships. Tab Baldwin trusts his coaches as much as he does his players, and they will be part of whatever adjustment for game 2. If Ateneo finds a way to include the big men in the scoring department, and play an even tighter defense, Wednesday would be rainy with a chance of confetti.