Eagles brace for do-or-die

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

There wasn’t a hint of despair or desperation as the Ateneo Blue Eagles left the Mall of Asia Arena Saturday night.

Losing a late 10-point lead and their twice-to-beat advantage in the narrow 61-62 defeat to the Far Eastern U Tamaraws hardly put a dent on the Eagles’ confidence heading into their do-or-die encounter tomorrow in the Final Four of UAAP Season 79 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Whatever momentum the Eagles built over the course of their second-round resurgence may have been snapped by the resilient Tamaraws, but Ateneo standout Thirdy Ravena sees no reason to panic despite their endgame woes.

“It’s not yet done,” said Ravena, who finished with 10 points in Game 1.  “We have another game on Wednesday. It’s just the half. We don’t come out in the dugout of the half hanging our heads. We have to stay positive and of course prepare for what they’re about to do.”

Ravena hit two late triples that ultimately fell short as the Tamaraws, crashing the boards with impunity and attacking the lane with confidence in the final period, completed the comeback from 39-49 down in the fourth quarter.

Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin felt his team played out of character in the final minutes of the series opener.

“We didn’t play with the sort of composure and experience that we think we have developed over the course of the season,” said Baldwin. “We have to make sure it won’t happen again.”

Aaron Black, who led the Eagles in scoring anew with 11 points in 14 minutes, noted Ateneo didn’t play to its strengths in the endgame.

“Basically, we didn’t stick to what we’re supposed to be, being the No. 2 defensive team in the league,” said Black, who hit seven straight points to start the fourth period before he was recalled  to the bench by Baldwin.

“We didn’t stick to that along with the rebounding. That’s what we stressed after the game.”

La Salle plays the winner of the FEU-Ateneo clash in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals starting Saturday.

“I’m not sure if it’s overconfidence but we could have taken Game 1,” said Ravena. “Everybody makes mistakes and sometimes you just can’t avoid it.”

The Eagles know there will be little room for error in the do-or-die clash tomorrow.

“We have a lot to work on but on Wednesday hopefully we get the job done,” said Ravena.