Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
The UAAP Finals curtain-raiser between Ateneo and University of the Philippines exceeded nearly everyone’s expectations that even Eagles coach Tab Baldwin was kept on the edge of his seat.
“Tough game, tough game,” he told the press shortly after Ateneo’s Game 1 victory on Saturday night. “I think that the outcome was in doubt probably up until the last couple of minutes.”
Baldwin and the defending champion Blue Eagles have a chance to wrap up another shiny new trophy when they go for the jugular of the Fighting Maroons at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A lot of Ateneo’s ability to wrap up the series lies on the state of Bright Akhuetie’s injured knee. The hulking Maroons big man looked like he hyperextended his left knee in the third period of Game 1—he actually had to be stretchered out of the court—but managed to return in the fourth quarter.
Akhuetie, who gives UP a much-needed inside presence, looks to be day-to-day. But the good news?
“He practiced with us today (Tuesday),” said UP coach Bo Perasol. “We will check on him again [on Wednesday].”
But if Game 1 was any indication, regardless of how Akhuetie feels on game day, UP isn’t going down without a fight.
After a blistering start by the Eagles that would have left most opponents winded, the Maroons found an extra gear and trimmed a 12-point lead to one. More importantly, in the third period, when Ateneo usually leaves its foes choking on leftover exhaust, UP stayed faithful to its moniker, and kept the Eagles within touching distance.
It was only in the fourth period when Thirdy Ravena and Matt Nieto dismissed UP for good—Ravena flirted with a triple-double while Nieto posted a career-best scoring output.
“If there’s one takeaway here, it’s that it’s possible to beat Ateneo,” Perasol said. “The boys showed that with a little tweak in defense and a little more rest, they can give Ateneo [a run for] their money.
And Baldwin, the architect of a 13-1 season last year that culminated in a title, also had something to say about his team’s defense.
“Our defense just didn’t do its job and the physicality of the game, I think, was something we’re not used to,” he pointed out. “It hasn’t been that way the whole UAAP and we have to adjust. I think that we failed to [adjust] throughout the course of the game.”
UP’s clamp-down limited Ateneo center Angelo Kouame to just seven points. .
“But certainly, I was proud of the fact that we stuck to the task and we got to the finish line for the first half,” he added. “This is only half of [the battle]. I was very impressed with the way [UP] played. We can’t expect anything less on Wednesday from them.”