#UAAP77Finals: Get Excited for Game 3

The final game of the Seniors Basketball Tournament of Season 77 of the UAAP is only a few days away. The FEU Tamaraws are hoping to bounce back from a Game 2 loss to annex a title they last won nearly a decade ago. The NU Bulldogs, meanwhile, are hoping to sustain the gains of their Game 2 win to be crowned kings of the UAAP for the first time since 1955. 

All bets are off for Game 3 between FEU and NU.
(images from FullCourtFresh.com)

Let’s build up the excitement for Game 3 by  reliving the awesomeness of the first two games of this landmark Finals series.

#UAAP77: Pace Is Power

It’s all about stepping up at the right time on the biggest stage.

And that, UAAP fans, is what Roger Pogoy just did in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 77 Finals against the NU Bulldogs.

With his team down in the scorecards to start the second half, Pogoy caught fire, scoring 10 of his 14 points in the third period to turn the tables on the NU quintet.

The key? The Tamaraws made the necessary adjustments and helped themselves by playing faster and forcing the Bulldogs to play FEU’s pace.

Mike Tolomia and the rest of FEU turned it up a notch in the
second half to beat NU in Game 1.

The Moraytans scored a total of 6 fastbreak points in the first half on only 3 transition attempts.

In the third quarter alone, coach Nash Racela’s wards scored just as many fastbreak points on 4 transition attempts.

Translation?

FEU put the pedal to the metal and forced NU to try and catch up.

The Games That Play Us: Two Cinderella Stories

In one tale, we have a Cinderella team finding its bearings at the right time and winning the elusive UAAP title. On the other, we have a Cinderella team that squandered its chances and, consequently, was left with a slew of could-have-beens for the second year in a row. 

In the middle of it all stood two brothers in each other's arms, one in tears while another beaming with pride. 

The Teng brothers embrace after Game 3. It is a moment
that might never be duplicated again.
(image by KC Cruz)

Down 15 with 6:40 to go in the third period, the De La Salle Green Archers looked all but quashed. UST had started that period on an 8-1 tear, powered by the sublime shooting of Jeric Teng, who had, by then, already amassed 17 points. Coach Juno Sauler was using another tight rotation in this, Game 3 of the UAAP Season 76 Finals. It sure seemed like the strategy was backfiring, as UST was running and gunning. 

One had to remember, though, that the Tigers themselves were using an even smaller rotation -- regulars like Kim Lo and Ed Daquioag didn't even see a lick of action. Still, armed with a fifteen-point bulge with about 16 minutes left? Coach Pido Jarencio was looking like a genius.

The Games That Play Us: One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall

Later today, we will all witness the first game of the Season 76 UAAP Finals between the De La Salle Green Archers and the University of Sto. Tomas Growling Tigers. Both teams went through some dramatic stuff to get to this stage, and, judging by that alone, perhaps we can all agree that either team is deserving of the title.

Having two champions is just not possible, of course, (Oh, wait, this is the UAAP. That actually happened already!) and that means, to reference Optimus Prime in the original animated “Transformers” motion picture, “One shall stand and one shall fall.” This resonates in a very interesting way for this particular match-up, since, as many outfits have no doubt dissected and re-dissected, we have two brothers on opposing sides of the conflict. This kinda reminds me of the 2009 film, “Brothers,” featuring Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal torn by the affections of one Natalie Portman, or, if you want to wax biblical, the inherent struggle between Cain & Abel or the Prodigal Son and his kuya.

Who's the better Teng?
(composite image by Enzo Flojo/Hoop Nut using images
by Leslie Sy and JB Janeo)

Championship Poetry

Here are two acrostic poems written by some students from Mr. Joel Falgui's 2E English class in the Ateneo de Manila High School.

Pretty impressive for two things:

1) They're not free-verse poems, but acrostic poems. It takes a certain level of finesse and critical thinking to complete a decent acrostic. (I'm sure you guys will get an idea of what an acrostic is just by reading these two works)

2) Both poems were completed BEFORE Ateneo clinched the 5-peat. Perhaps these guys have pre-cognition abilities? Haha :)

One BIG Fight for poetry!!! :)

Norman Black: He Will Always Be Remembered

Farewell Coach, may the Fates treat you well, and
may you continue to find success in the PBA.

It’s rare that the choices one man makes directly affect the course of events for an entire community. It’s rare such a thing happens for someone who is not in public office, or someone who is not commanding legions in a corporate hierarchy.

This is why Norman Black is a rarity. And the thing that makes him a superlative rarity, that is a rarity among other rarities, is that he has climbed to the summit of college basketball and remained there for the past five years.

Now that he’s leaving the UAAP and returning to his old stomping grounds, Coach Norman will undoubtedly be remembered as the bemedaled and beloved mentor who reinstated the winning tradition in Ateneo basketball.

The Game5 That Play U5: Exorci5m5 and Farewell5

Five straight UAAP titles in the Final Four era.
Only in Ateneo.
(image from Fabilioh.com)

It was a game of goodbyes.

Goodbye demons.

Goodbye graduates.

Goodbye Coach.

Hello 5.

With under 5 seconds to go, senior starting point guard, Juami Tiongson intercepted an errant pass from UST shooter Clark Bautista. The pass was meant for the hot hands of the Tigers’ graduating playmaker, Jeric Fortuna. Juami got his hands on the ball, stayed inbounds, dribbled a couple of times and then threw it up in the air.

On the Eve of Battle

Nico Salva had a big Game 1. Can he continue playing
well to help Ateneo clinch the title?
(image by Philip Sison/Fabilioh.com)

Ateneo practice.

It's Wednesday, 6:33pm. At this time when most people studying or working at the Ateneo de Manila University are either home already or well on their way, there are about 40 warm bodies still hard at work.

The venue is the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center. All the lights are on. The place is abuzz with activity. HS star Thirdy Ravena is at one corner, shooting hoops with Seniors rookies Isaac Lim and Gboy Babilonia. Some time in the future they're going to be teammates for the Blue & White.

For now, however, the spotlight isn't really on these young 'uns, but on their older brothers.

At center court, assistant coaches Gene Afable, Joe Silva, Sandy Arespacochaga, and Gabby Severino are keenly observing their wards, mindful of what is at stake for the battle that will take place in less than 24 hours.

The Games That Play Us: A Step Closer and an Aside

Kiefer Ravena and the Blue Eagles are just one win
away from an unprecedented 5-peat in the Final Four era.

The Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles are a step closer to achieving something historic, something unparalleled, in the Final Four era.

If they play their cards right, this will be the perfect send-off to the coach who helped right the basketball program in Loyola Heights, the coach who has, as of this writing, amassed 109 wins in 135 UAAP games for Ateneo.

One step closer. One step away.

From making history.

Or repeating it.

Sizing Up Ateneo and UST

(image from CoolBuster.net)

This post also appears on UNOMagazine.com.ph.

Finals Appearances (in the Final Four era):

Ateneo = 9 (last appeared, and won, in 2011)
UST = 6 (last appeared, and won, in 2006)

*These count their current Finals appearance in Season 75.

- UST was eliminated by Ateneo in each of its Final Four appearances after winning the 2006 title: 69-64 in 2007, 81-64 in 2009, and 69-66 last year.

- This is only the second time Ateneo and UST will meet in the UAAP Finals, with their first and only meeting in Season 69 going UST's way after a thrilling three-game series. UST beat Ateneo, 76-74, in the overtime period of Game 3.

- These are two of the winningest college basketball programs in the country's history. Ateneo leads all programs with a total of 21 combined titles in the NCAA and UAAP, while UST is tied for second with FEU, having won 18 UAAP crowns and 1 NCAA plum.

- Many people view this as Ateneo's last great chance at winning a title, especially since championship mentor Norman Black will officially leave for the PBA, and a host of the Eagles' core players are graduating -- Greg Slaughter, Nico Salva, Justin Chua, Oping Sumalinog, and Tonino Gonzaga. A couple of other players may also choose not to return for their final year of eligibility -- Ryan Buenafe and Frank Golla. 

- This trip to the Finals is seen as deja vu for many UST followers, since, like in 2006, not a lot of people mentioned them in the championship conversation. Many of their wins, in fact, were attributed by their own coach, Pido Jarencio, to mere tsamba. Ironically, it was only Ateneo's coach, Norman Black, who outwardly chose UST as a title contender before Season 75 began.