Eagles In The Hunt

BALDOS AND BACLAO RISE TO THE OCCASION AS ATENEO OUSTS U.S.T.

By Joel Orellana
Business Mirror
September 24, 2007



Ateneo took another step in its goal of returning to the finals after the Blue Eagles brought their best defensive effort in beating Santo Tomas U, 69-64, in the men’s basketball tournament in Season 70 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum.

Seniors Ford Arao and Chris Tiu were steady on offense all throughout, but Ateneo coach Norman Black found an unlikely source of strength—Mike Baldos and Severino Baclao—to neutralize the Growling Tigers’ advantage inside the lane.

Thus, UST’s reign as UAAP champions came to an end.

For Ateneo’s part, after bungling a pair of chances in an effort to return to the finals, the Eagles now face the well-rested De La Salle Green Archers for the right to play University of the East for the championship.

The Archers hold the twice-to-beat advantage against the Eagles in the playoff that starts 3 p.m. on Thursday, also at the Big Dome.

“I think we just have a lot of desire to move on,” said Black, who will be meeting De La Salle for the fourth time this season.

Arao finished with 17 points while Tiu added 14. Baclao, a transferee from West Negros College, chipped in 11 markers, eight boards and three blocks, adding his total rejections to 17 in the last three games.

“He’s our best defensive player outside Zion [Laterre] and Ford,” said Black of his lanky six-foot-five center who collared a pair of crucial rebounds in the closing minutes that foiled UST’s comeback.

Baldos had seven points in five minutes. Before the contest, he played only five games and accumulated eight markers. Yesterday, all his minutes were valuable in containing the King Tiger Jervy Cruz.

Cruz, the leading candidate for Most Valuable Player, finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds but was six-of-21 in the game including a horrible one-of-12 shooting in the second half.

The team’s vaunted wingman was also off yesterday, with Khasim Mirza finishing with only two points on 0-of-six shooting from three-point area and one-of-nine overall.

As Cruz and Mirza struggled with their game in the final canto, Baclao and Arao took turns in burning the hoop for Ateneo to erect a 65-54 lead with 5:10 left in the game as the blue-side gallery erupted in wild jubilation.

UST threatened, 65-60, on Dylan Ababou’s three-pointer.

Baclao grabbed an offensive board on Eric Salamat’s missed jumper and converted on a putback to give Ateneo breathing space, 67-60, with 1:31 remaining.

Mark Canlas scored on the next possession for UST, 67-62, and the Growling Tigers got another chance to move closer when the Blue Eagles came out empty in the next play.

But Ababou muffed a crucial three-pointer and Cruz misfired on his follow-up attempt after collaring the offensive board, paving the way for Round Four between the most bitter rivals in contemporary Philippine sports.

“Here we go again,” said Black who beat the Green Archers twice in the elimination round but absorbed a critical 70-69 loss in their playoff for the No. 2 seed and the twice-to-beat advantage.

“We have shown that we can beat them in the past but we’ll concentrate on them tomorrow. We’ll enjoy this victory tonight,” added Black.

As the Loyola-based dribblers and supporters rejoiced after the match, Santo Tomas mentor Pido Jarencio was in tears at the other end of the court, visibly upset with their performance.

“Kasalanan ko lahat ang nangyari. Hindi ko na-prepare ang players ko ng husto,” said Jarencio, still snuffling after an emotional postgame talk with his players.

“Kung ano ang itinuro ko, ’yun ang kinalabasan ngayon. Ibig sabihin kulang ang itinuro ko. Masakit hindi lang dahil sa natalo kami kundi dahil na-disappoint ko ang Thomasian community,” Jarencio added.

Ababou chipped in 16 points and 11 rebounds for the España-based squad, which became the second straight team that failed to enter the finals after Far Eastern U last year.

Whether there will be coaching change in UST is still unknown. Even Jarencio was clueless of his future in the team.

“Kung wala man ako, sana suportahan pa rin ang players ko next year,” Jarencio said.



Zobel rallies past Ateneo in juniors final

By Reuben Terrado
Business Mirror
September 24, 2007



A furious rally in the dying moments gave the De La Salle-Zobel Junior Archers a 76-74 win over the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eaglets to take the opener of the juniors’ basketball best-of-three finals in Season 70 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Bryan Manguera and Bryan Fortuna sparked the 2005 champions in the fourth quarter of a game that saw La Salle trail by as many as 12 points.

His team trailing 59-54 going into the fourth, Manguera scored 10 of his 11 points in the payoff period—including the go-ahead three-point play less than 50 seconds to play—while Fortuna made two pressure-packed free throws with 20 seconds to go.

But De La Salle’s celebration was short-lived after one Junior Archer’s valuables were stolen from the team’s locker room. The suspects actually destroyed the locker’s wooden door and took away an iPod, a Nokia N73 cell phone and at least P30,000 from De La Salle center Colin Buckley.

“So this is what happens after winning in Ninoy,” said dejected Junior Archers coach Boris Aldeguer. “Hindi kami pinapasok agad sa venue dahil wala daw kaming ID tapos ganito ang mangyayari. What happened to the security?”

The Philippine Sports Commission, which has authority over the venue, said that it was the UAAP’s responsibility to secure the venue during games.

“May usapan na kami with the UAAP since the start ng tournament na sila ang in-charge ng security ng venue during games,” said Engr. Loreno De Guia, officer-in-charge of the sports facilities development division of the PSC.

Police said that they will forward their report to UAAP officials.

This is the second time a De La Salle team fell victim to thieves at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium after its seniors squad’s locker room was also ransacked in a summer-league game earlier this year.

The incident dampened the mood of a jubilant Junior Archers team that is a win away from winning its second title in three years. They can wrap up the series on Saturday at the Ninoy.

“Ateneo is a much bigger, quicker and faster team than us,” said Aldeguer. “But we wanted to win it more. It was all heart.”

David Webb, grandson of former senator and pro Freddie Webb, topped the Junior Archers with 17 points to go with nine rebounds. Matthew Capacio, son of Far Eastern University coach Glenn Capacio, chipped in 11 points and 10 boards.

Frank Golla led the Blue Eaglets with 17 points and eight rebounds while rookie sensation Kiefer Ravena, son of former professional player Bong Ravena, tallied 16 markers.