UAAP Season 74 Game 7: Ateneo 69-49 FEU
08.07.11
Keys to victory:
The one-possession annihilation: To score ten points in less than a minute is impressive enough. To not yield the ball in that span is, well, basketball nirvana. The deciding lethal blows came from Emman Monfort, Kirk Long, Greg Slaughter, and Nico Salva (throw in Kiefer Ravena three-point player leaner while you're at it). FEU was still within striking distance (52-42) before the ambush. Cooler heads prevailed. Keep that in mind, Terrence Romeo and Russel Escoto. Your unsportsmanlike fouls did the Tamaraws in.
FEU did themselves in: Oh, Coach Bert Flores. There was a painful sequence in the fourth quarter where RR Garcia went berserk and kept spotting on the left corner pocket with 22 seconds left on the shot clock, firing one ill-advised long two after another. It was like the whiteboard was broken in half over a timeout and you told the boys to run plays in streetball fashion. Unfortunately, the only remnant we saw that came from the hood was the gangsta attitude that ballyhooed the game's integrity. It was like everyone decided to overcompensate the chucking quota when JR Cawaling left the game after re-aggravating his ankle.
Blue Mamba: Am I allowed to use this moniker? Is there already a patent for this? Do I have to cite sources or pay royalties? Whatever. With every passing game, Ravena is not only learning to adjust and play to the defense thrown at him, he is able to force the opposition to play him the way he wants to be covered. There is no slowing down the learning curve of this kid, busting out a 19 point, 9 rebound line.
Chalk talk:
No human victory cigars unleashed today, even in the final minute... It is quite surprising to see how far Oping Sumalinog has sunk in the depth chart since his starting role against Adamson... FEU juggled three bigs in Clarence Foronda (laid an egg), Christian Sentcheu (popped jersey, Slaughter poached him like an egg), and Escoto (scored eight, then cracked... like an egg). In short, the Tamaraws left a trail of eggshells.
The UAAP Board has to make an All-Defensive Team come awarding season, if only because of Kirk Long. That's how lockdown he has been through the first seven games... Through the first round, Ateneo has outscored their seven opponents by 14.5 points on average, three of them dumped by points 20 or more.... 14.5 points also happens to be Ravena's average, tops on the Blue Eagles squad.
And wow, how did Aldrech Ramos grab 18 rebounds? Is he also a 7-footer now?
Quarter scoring: 15-15, 30-26, 47-35, 69-49
Game 8: vs TBA
Just a friendly reminder... TBA is neither a team nor a venue. I hope you already know this truism after four years of university life.
Box scores courtesy of PB Fantasy