UAAP Final Four starts

MANILA—Going into the Final Four from a heartbreak may not be the most ideal for any team. Yet Ateneo coach Norman Black sees his team’s situation as nothing more than a test of strength.

Although denied by Adamson of a historic sweep and an outright title berth, the Blue Eagles still hold the next best thing.

With the No. 1 spot and the twice-to-beat bonus in their pocket, the Blue Eagles hope to get their fearsome form back against the University of Santo Tomas in the UAAP men’s basketball semifinals Thursday.

“We’ll find out the character of the team when faced with an adversity,” said Black. “We’ll find out what we’re made of.”

Although still a heavy favorite over the fourth-ranked Tigers, the Blue Eagles aim to just let their game do the talking in the 12 noon duel at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The No. 2 Falcons—the biggest spoiler of the season after foiling the Eagles’ bid of a rare 14-game sweep—also own a twice-to-beat edge in their own semifinal clash against Far Eastern University at 3 p.m.

Tickets for the double-header are sold separately.

“Hopefully we can bounce back and begin a new streak,” said Ateneo’s star rookie Kiefer Ravena. “Our objective from Day 1 was not an undefeated season, but a fourth straight championship. That remains our focus and one loss does not change that.”

True enough, the focus remains as the Eagles vow for a repeat of their double-digit drubbing of the Tigers twice in the eliminations.

“It’s just one loss, we’ll be back,” said Greg Slaughter, Ateneo’s seven-foot gem.

Ravena and Slaughter, of course, will be the focal point along with veterans Nico Salva and Kirk Long in the Eagles’ bid to secure their fourth straight Finals appearance.

But the Tigers think they have the goods to forge a winner-take-all despite finishing the eliminations with an 8-6 record, five games behind the Eagles’ near perfect 13-1 card.

Coach Pido Jarencio thinks his Tigers have picked up momentum late in the season behind the leadership of Jeric Fortuna, Jeric Teng and Cameroonian center Karim Abdul.

Another motivation for the Tigers, of course, was their 2006 championship romp with then rookie mentor Jarencio steering the underdog UST to a Finals upset of top-seeded Ateneo.

“They’re up there, but I think we can catch up,” said Jarencio. “We were able to fix the problems in the team, the desire to win is there, so I think we’re okay.”

“It’s not far-fetched to believe that 2006 could happen all over again,” added the former PBA gunner.

The Eagles hardly felt challenged in their elimination encounters, downing the Tigers in the first round, 66-53, before a 25-point dumping, 82-57, in their second meeting.

“We’re not thinking of those losses to Ateneo,” he said, vowing: “We’re a different UST team now. This is the Final Four. We’ll give it our all.”

“I think we were tight when we faced Ateneo,” said playmaker Jeric Fortuna. “We need to be more loose, yet confident and focused. We need to be the aggressors this time. Our season is on the line so expect us to play hard.”

The Falcons, who are seeking for a first Finals appearance since 1992, also vie for a quick finish of the Tamaraws with a veteran powerhouse led by Alex Nuyles, Eric Camson, Lester Alvarez and Jerick Cañada.

“Even if we had a big win against Ateneo, going into the playoffs is a different ballgame,” said Adamson coach Leo Austria.

The two squads split their elimination meetings, with the Falcons dominating the first round, 78-59, before the Tamaraws narrowly escaped their next face-off, 62-61.

“We have to do better because Adamson is playing at a high level after beating Ateneo,” said FEU coach Bert Flores, who’s banking on RR Garcia, Terrence Romeo and Aldrech Ramos. “They have good guards and big men, so we have to play very good defense.”

Jarencio admits UST will be hard-pressed to stop Ateneo. But he said UST will take it “one game at a time” and has pointed out areas of concern.

“We need to solve the transition points of Ateneo,” Jarencio said.

He also said it will be important for the Tigers to stop the Eagles top four players: Greg Slaughter, Kiefer Ravena, Nico Salva and Kirk Long.

“The first minute of the match will be crucial,” Jarencio said.