(Photo Credit: Mico Ongkeko, The GUIDON) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. De La Salle Green Archers 88-86 Notable Players Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo (17 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals): Thirdy Ravena, best local in the UAAP. HANDS. DOWN. Chibueze Ikeh, Ateneo (12 points, 13 rebounds, 2 blocks): The points are a huge bonus, but what truly mattered was the A+ defense on Ben Mbala, and the constant activity which he showed on both ends of the floor. An absolute masterpiece by Ikeh. GG2EZ4CHIBUEZE. Ben Mbala, La Salle (19 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks): It wasn't easy for Ben, but we can't deny this: Even in his worst games, Ben Mbala is still the best player in college basketball BAR NONE. Quick Analysis: - That my friends, is how do or die basketball games should be play. There were jitters, but both teams played TERRIFIC basketball on both ends, and put their bodies on the line all for the sake of a championship. Last year, it felt like Ateneo was lucky to be t...

(Photo Credit: Mico Ongkeko, SLAM Philippines) De La Salle Green Archers def. Ateneo Blue Eagles 92-83 Notable Players: Kib Montalbo (9 points, 5 assists and 3 steals) and Andrei Caracut (13 points, 3 rebounds), DLSU: These two were arguably the main reasons for La Salle's resurgence during the second half. Kib played some terrific defense, while Andrei was his usual steady self on offense. Most importantly, as cliche as it may be, they kept on fighting and didn't give up. Ben Mbala (20 points, 16 rebounds, 3 steals and 4 blocks) and Ricci Rivero (18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists), DLSU: They were on the verge of breaking down, but their captains (Kib and Prince) got them back on track to wreck havoc on Ateneo. Ben broke out of his slump and regained confidence, while Ricci ignored foul trouble to produce for La Salle. Thirdy Ravena (20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists) and Aaron Black (15 points, 6/8 FG), Ateneo: The former Blue Eaglets tried their best to ...

(Photo Credit: Angel Marquez, GoArchers.com Game 1 is now history. All “What-if” questions and shoulda coulda woulda are now moot, as the Ateneo Blue Eagles pull off a 76-70 win in a highly physical game against the De La Salle Green Archers. 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. DE LA SALLE GREEN ARCHERS Ben Mbala was proved to be human by the Ateneo defense. He got 12 rebounds, but scored only 8 points on 3/7 field goal shooting. All game long he had to deal with 2 (sometimes even 3) defenders hounding him, forcing him to kick out to shooters and let them handle the offensive load. It also did not help that he was saddled with 4 fouls, playing more tentative that he already was. Ricci Rivero was also in foul trouble for most of the game, finishing with only 10 points. Outside those two, no one else got to double digits in ...

(Photo Credit: Joseph Nebrida, GoArchers.com) DLSU Green Archers def. UST Growling Tigers 94-59 Notable Players Ben Mbala, DLSU (17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 offensive rebounds, 3 blocks) : Wait, there is one simple thing not mentioned in this stats, it was done in HALF the game.  Playing only 19 minutes, Mbala was on track for a record breaking afternoon until Coach Aldin Ayo pulled the plug and decided to dig into his pocket of subs.  But the second quarter 25-8 game deciding run was all La Salle needed Mbala to anchor as the Green Archers took a mammoth 45-24 halftime lead.   Ricci Rivero, DLSU ( 16 points, 7 rebounds 3 offensive rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block) : Ricci Rivero continues his MVP-like playing ways piling up statistical points in a flash.  These impressive stats were amassed in 19 minutes and Rivero completely euro-stepped around UST leaping Tigers who seemed to bite with every pump, shoulder or head fake.  The sophomore ho...

(Photo Credit: Rafael Zaballero, The LaSallian) DLSU Green Archers def. Adamson Soaring Falcons 80-74 Notable Players Ricci Rivero, La Salle (17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist):  The gunslinger from La Salle Greenhills has flipped the switch in the second round playing Mythical Team basketball.  When the play is broken, give the ball to Ricci.  Shot clock running down and the team needs a quick 2, give the ball to Ricci.  The steadiness Ricci Rivero has provided so far to a struggling La Salle offense by capitalizing on small defensive gaps and driving hard for two.   To add to that phenomenal and entertaining brand of offense are the intangible contributions.  Rivero's ridiculous length on defense effectively shuts down opponents' outside snipers plus the agility to chase down dribble drive rim attacks has made Mayhem a tough defense to crack.     Santi Santillan, La Salle (16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists):  The ...

(Photo Credit: Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports) DLSU Green Archers def. UP Fighting Maroons 85-62 Notable Players Ben Mbala, DLSU (27 points, 14 rebounds, 7 offensive rebounds, 28.33 minutes of hounding Paul Desiderio):  "You don't like me when I am angry" is a phrase patented by the Hulk, that fierce green giant.  When Mbala got angry, he decisively shut down Paul Desiderio from making any buckets on his watch.  Mbala blanked the UP rapid shooter who was only able to cough out two successive triples in the second quarter when La Salle shifted to their 1-2-2 leaving the wings open. Mbala made more strong backdoor cuts that resulted into easy twos or sending him to the line where he made 12 of 14 attempts. Ricci Rivero, DLSU (20 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals):  Talk about coming back from scoring coma, Ricci Rivero came into life for the 3rd straight game aptly supporting Mbala in keeping UP's defense honest.  Using that unbelievable wingspan to the max, Ricc...

(Photo Credit: Marie Dobuyan, Tiebreaker Times) De La Salle Green Archers def. FEU Tamaraws 75-73 Notable Players: Ricci Rivero, DLSU (20 points, 4 assists, 5 steals): He's starting to figure it out! Ricci showcased just how freaky athletic he is, attacking passing lanes endlessly and pressuring FEU guards into turnovers. He had three straight fast break plays during the second quarter just off steals. He's going to be very good once he screws his head straight. Ben Mbala, DLSU (18 points, 17 rebounds): It was a meh game from Ben (by his standards), as he had trouble scoring versus the length of Prince Orizu and Barkley Ebona down low. At the very least, he's starting to find his flow in DLSU's motion offense in the half court. Jollo Go, DLSU (14 points, 4/5 3FG): If it weren't for his threes in the fourth quarter, we'd be talking about an FEU win and DLSU hitting the panic button already.  Kenneth Tuffin, FEU (14 points, 2/3 3FG, 4 rebounds...

(Photo Credit: John Oranga, Fabilioh) Ateneo Blue Eagles def. La Salle Green Archers 76-75 Notable Players: Matt Nieto, Ateneo (16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 ballsy free throws): We all know the big shots, but how he broke La Salle's mayhem and settled down Ateneo was just as impressive. Anton Asistio, Ateneo (14 points, 4 made threes): He didn't do too well late in the game but his threes at the start were key. Jolo Mendoza, Ateneo (10 points, 2/3 3FG, 2 assists): Jolo was terrific for most of this game, taking advantage of La Salle's poor coverage on the perimeter to hit some timely shots. He still has a ways to go at being a play maker, but he's getting there. Ben Mbala, La Salle (18 points, 13 rebounds): He had *just* 18 points, but how he forced Ateneo to help on him again and again was key in making this game close. A facilitating Mbala is a nightmare to be up against. Ricci Rivero, La Salle (19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steal...

(Photo Credit: Tristan Tamayo, INQUIRER.net) IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT'S TIMEEEEEEEEEEE! It's Ateneo-La Salle weekend, and unlike last year's first round match-up, this match is looking to be a tight one. Both teams are set to finish with the top two seeds by the end of the first round (regardless of the result of the game), so I can assure you we're getting a match between the two best teams in the league. Obviously, there are a number of key questions for this game. There's issues with pace, running pristine offenses, and of course, determining who will win the most awaited match-up of this year. The entire Scout's Notebook PH team along with writers from The GUIDON, The LaSallian and Humblebola, came in and helped answer these key questions. Here are our answers: 1. Just how important of a factor will pace be for this game? Context: La Salle and Ateneo play at contrasting paces with each other. La Salle sports the fastest pace at 94.73 while Ate...

(Photo Credit: Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports) DLSU Green Archers def. UE Red Warriors 106-100 Notable Players Alvin Pasaol (49 record breaking points, 8 rebounds, 4 offensive rebounds, 4 steals): The best player from the winning team usually gets mentioned first, but we make exceptions.  Alvin Pasaol's phenomenal all-game, all around game almost brought out the upset banner by pummeling on Mayhem repeatedly.  Thriving on press breaks and defense that gambles a lot on passing lanes, Pasaol had a holiday taking all-day shots or barreling in abusing the compromised interior defense of La Salle. As if the prolific scoring was not enough, Pasaol crashed the board and scored 8 points off second chances and shared the ball when La Salle defenses collapsed.  In the second quarter alone, Pasaol was the lone ranger scoring all of UE's field goals. Ben Mbala (39 points, 10 of 12 from the field (85%), 91% from 2-point zone, 95%  freethrow percentage, 15 rebounds, 4 offens...

(Photo Credit: Joseph Nebrida, GoArchers.com) De La Salle Green Archers def UST Growling Tigers 115-86 Notable Players: Ben Mbala, DLSU (28 points, 50% Field Goal percentage, 9 rebounds, 4 offensive boards, 2 assists and 2 steals):  Despite racking up season-low numbers (I laugh in fear as I read these lines. These are season low for Ben. INSANE - Ed), still a monster game for the kid from Cameroon.  Mbala was methodical, deliberate and disciplined as the La Salle star not only escalated the lead in the second quarter by exploding for 12 points, but also limited his turnovers to only 2.  Sharing the ball using crisp and fast passes enabled the other Green Archers to get involved in the flow. Andrei Caracut, DLSU (14 points, 5 assists, 2 steals 56% field goal percentage):  The former San Beda Red Cub showed tenacity by adhering to the Mayhem system and backstopped the Archers by tending the back court with high level of effectiveness.  Caracut was ...

(Photo Credit: SLAM Philippines) Final Score:  UP Fighting Maroons def. De La Salle Green Archers 98-87 Notable Players Paul Desiderio (career high 30 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 53% FG percentage, 60% 3pt percentage) This man who has a single mission of creating nightmares for La Salle shredded Mayhem with his precise sniping from downtown.  Desiderio's aggressive one-on-one moves and with his fluidity in creating space using high screens enabled this deadly Fighting Maroon to keep the Green Archers at bay by scoring 13 points in the 3rd quarter.  Desiderio also missed only 1 of his 7 three-point attempt in the last three quarters engineering a UP comeback and taking the lead for keeps. Jun Manzo (17 points, 4 assists, 47% FG percentage + 1 bold tweet) This Cebuano kid has quickly picked up the Fighting Maroons swagger with a bold prediction before the start of the game.  Not only did he orchestrate the floor to Maroon perfection but also set up ...

(Photo Credit: SLAM Philippines) De La Salle Green Archers def. Adamson Soaring Falcons 85-73 Notable Players Ben Mbala, DLSU (32 points, 10 rebounds):  What a return!  Ben Mbala's total domination exuded on many ends, pumping a career-high 32 points with an efficient 69% from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc.  Mbala's defensive presence down low forced the Falcons to chuck it from the outside. In the first quarter when La Salle tripled Adamson's scoring output, the Falcons' were shooting blanks. Did we mention the twirl-and-slam of Mbala at the crucial junction of the final quarter to give La Salle 1 75-66 lead when Adamson trimmed the lead to 7? Santi Santillan, DLSU (10 points, 7 rebounds):  Fast becoming the backup for Mbala, Santillan's board production gave La Salle some time to give Mbala ample rest.  Santillan's timely putback of his own miss gave some space for La Salle at 77-68 in the heat of the Adamson rally. Robbie Manalang, Adamson...