Blue Eagles gun for UAAP crown

FEU vs Ateneo. Photo by August Dela Cruz, Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Ateneo didn’t mind the long wait as the Blue Eagles see themselves staying sharp in their chase for a fourth straight UAAP championship.

Although a week has passed since their sensational Game 1 win, the Blue Eagles think their drive remains as strong against a still motivated Far Eastern University in the men’s basketball Finals Saturday.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series—which was cancelled last Tuesday due to Typhoon Pedring—is set at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

History favors the Eagles as all but four of 17 teams that won Game 1 went on to bag the title since the league adopted the Final Four format in 1994.

But the last time the league postponed a game in the middle of a Finals, the Eagles blew a 1-0 series advantage against eventual 2006 champion University of Santo Tomas.

“The good thing about this team is they don’t really live in the past, they’re not looking forward to the future, they’re just living in the moment,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black. “And our moment is to try to win the championship this year.”

Even if the postponement may look like a reprieve for the Tamaraws, FEU coach Bert Flores insists that his team has been ready for a fightback.

In Game 1, the Eagles had practically everything going right in the second half to run down the Tamaraws by 18 points, 82-64, last Saturday.

“The players were ready to play even last Tuesday,” said Flores. “The postponement didn’t affect us, we still prepared the same way.”

Before Ateneo shoots for a historic title romp, its two star rookies take centerstage along with this season’s top individual performers in a 1:30 p.m. awarding ceremony.

National University’s Ray Parks will formally receive the Most Valuable Player plum and lead the Mythical Team, which includes the Ateneo duo of Kiefer Ravena and Greg Slaughter, FEU’s Aldrech Ramos and Adamson’s Alex Nuyles.

Slaughter, who came second in the MVP race, and Rookie of the Year Ravena are again expected to spearhead the Eagles’ bid along with dependable veterans Nico Salva, Kirk Long and Emman Monfort.

The Ateneo quintet combined for all but 10 of the team’s 82 points in Game 1, the highest recorded points scored by team starters in a Finals game.

Salva, who knocked in all of his attempts for a game-high 24 points, also led the Eagles to a remarkable 60 percent shooting clip, the highest recorded in a single game in eight years.

Despite their hot scoring, Black said his Eagles know what has made them successful for the past seasons.

“We’ve been living and dying with our defense the last four years,” said Black. “If we’re going to win this thing, it’s going to have to be our defense. That’s really going to be the key.”

Another victory will put Ateneo in an elite group of multiple champions with at least four straight crowns.

La Salle was the last team to pull off the feat (1998-2001) after University of Santo Tomas (1993-1996), but University of the East holds the league record with seven consecutive titles (1965-1971).