INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Defense and deadly focus sparked a second straight title for the Blue Eagles that completed a second consecutive championship double for Ateneo in the UAAP basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Aggressive on both ends of the court, the Blue Eagles pulled away in the second quarter and roared to a 71-58 rout of the University of the East Warriors in the finale of the best-of-three title series before a 19,000-strong crowd.

Rabeh Al-Hussaini, who scattered 28 points in Ateneo’s 78-71 Game 1 win, came out dominating Game 3 with 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead this batch of Blue Eagles in replicating Ateneo’s first back-to-back title romp in 1987 and 1988.

“We came out hungry right from the very start, we were on attack mode right from the very start,” said coach Norman Black.

The Eagles, blasted by the Warriors to smithereens in Game 2, 88-68, returned the compliment this time with Jai Reyes and Ryan Buenafe joining forces with Al-Hussaini in Ateneo’s second-half binge.

“The focus was much better,” said Black after the Eagles bagged their fifth overall crown since joining the league in 1978. “We played defense, something we didn’t do in Game 2.”

Reyes, who played his final year for the Eagles, unloaded nine of his 16 points from beyond the arc. He also had six rebounds and as many assists.

Buenafe, last year’s top rookie, added 10 markers, while Nonoy Baclao also came through with eight points and 12 boards.

But the big difference was 2008 MVP Al-Hussaini, who capped a remarkable collegiate career with back-to-back crowns and a Finals MVP award after averaging 22.3 points and 11.7 rebounds in the series.

“I owe everything to coach Norman, I was just an average player before,” said the 6-foot-6 Al-Hussaini.

The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the Warriors, who again fell short of ending the school’s 24-year title drought.

“I knew all along that they will bounce back,” said the rookie UE coach Lawrence Chongson.

Paul Lee led UE with 21 points but Elmer Espiritu and Pari Llagas, who were unstoppable in Game 2, floundered in the face of Ateneo’s unforgiving defense.

“We handled adversity well,” noted Black, whose Eagles led by as many as 20 points, 67-47, late in the fourth quarter.

The unusually star-studded UE crowd included legendary alumni Robert Jaworski, Allan Caidic, James Yap, Vice President Noli de Castro and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.

The scores:
First Game (Juniors)
ATENEO 61—Banal 16, Romero 12, Pessumal 10, Ravena 9, Sinco 3, Pe 3, Capacio 3, Dumrique 2, Bugarin 2, Reyes 1.

LA SALLE ZOBEL 56—Capacio 15, Dela Paz 14, Van Opstal 9, Elorde 8, Herrera 6, Roxas 2, Park 2, Sevilla 0, Fortuna 0.
Quarters: 14-8, 22-22, 42-41, 61-56

Second Game (Seniors)
ATENEO 71—Al-Hussaini 21, Reyes 16, Buenafe 10, Baclao 8, Salamat 7, Long 7, Salva 2, Monfort 0, Austria 0.

UE 58—Lee 21,Espiritu 16, Acuña 8, Lingganay 5, Zamar 3, Llagas 3, Flores 2, Reyes 0, Duran 0, Ayala 0.
Quarters: 21-17, 40-25, 57-41, 71-58