Wish Granted: Ateneo beats UE to forge Showdown with La Salle

You asked for it, you got it. Ateneo fans wanted L.A. Tenorio to give the ball up a bit more and not force shots. They also asked J.C. Intal to take charge during games, Japeth Aguilar to be an intimidating force once more and for Doug Kramer to play like he did in Round 1 of the eliminations. With a bonus offensive attack from Magnum Membrere and all of these happening simultaneously, Ateneo de Manila beat University of the East 76-65. Thus, Ateneans of all ages got the one thing they wanted more than anything else: a rematch with de La Salle and a chance for redemption.

With UE still missing the services of 2004 Rookie of the Year Marcy Arellano due to a recent bout with dengue fever and coming off a draining loss to La Salle last Sunday, UE knew that it faced a tough task in beating the boys from Katipunan. At stake in this contest was not just the number 3 seed, but also the right to face De La Salle in the Final Four. With stakes this high, there were some quarters who still suggested that Ateneo should take the fall. After all, a loss would relegate the loser to a match with league-leaders the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, a team the Blue Eagles had already defeated in Round 2. Yet for any self-respecting Atenean, a loss to the Red Warriors would not be acceptable. After all, laying down for an opponent would not just be un-Atenean, it would also mean that our boys are terrified of big bad La Salle. That theory will not stand.

The Eagles would prove this point early and often, going for the jugular as early as the first period. Despite rookie Bonbon Custodio finally playing a good game versus Ateneo, the Warriors played confused early on. Tenorio and Macky Escalona went to big man Doug Kramer early and often, finding the power forward as he cut to the basket and consistently moved without the ball. In spite of Japeth Aguilar getting two early personal fouls, the Blue and White still played well enough to end the first quarter with a 21-19 lead.



A good sign for Coach Norman Black's crew emerged in the second quarter. After a season marred with chronic sprains and losing his starting five spot, Magnum Membrere finally returned to the spotlight. The former San Beda Red Cub exploded in the period, getting fouled from beyond the arc and converting all three free throws, hitting a conventional three-point shot, and even having a lay-up on one of the few Ateneo fastbreaks brought smiles to the many Magnum fans still pulling for an explosion from the veteran. Zion Laterre also got into the act, getting big rebounds and converting on putbacks that he wasn't able to do the previous week against the Archers. Halftime saw Ateneo up 41-32 thanks to Kramer's 12 points, Intal's 9, and Membrere's surprising 8 markers.

The third period was clearly the J.C. Intal show. After showing signs of life against DLSU before being felled by an injury, the Baby Rocket showcased the entire arsenal as he faced his favorite victims. Intal has consistently played well against UE, and this game was no different. Turnaround bank shots, lay-ins, jabsteps resulting in stepback three-point shots, these were just some of the moves Intal unleashed on the Red Warrior defense. They also helped Ateneo pump the lead to its largest at 54-39. Then, suddenly and inexplicably, Ateneo just stopped scoring. Upon hitting the 4:44 mark of the period, and powered by hot shooting from Jorel Cañizares and good attempts from Mark Borboran and Custodio, UE went on a 12-0 blitz to come within 54-51 of the Eagles. At the end of three, Ateneo's lead stood at a precarious 59-55.

Early in the last quarter, UE got five quick offensive rebounds but could not convert. Just when the Warriors were set to make a run, Earn Saguindel drove to the lane and Japeth Aguilar jumped to block his shot. Saguindel quickly found Elmer Espiritu on the baseline and the rookie went up for a two-handed slam. Too bad for him that Aguilar had quickly recovered, and sent the jam home with a big shotblock. That huge defensive play triggered Magnum Membrere converting on a bankshot on the other end and getting fouled in the process. Membrere would finish the evening with 13 huge points off the Ateneo bench, going 6/6 from the free throw stripe as Ateneo's lead grew to 62-55. Though the Eagles' game was far from perfect (the turnovers were still high and there were times where nobody wanted to shoot), this was a good game to play in preparation for the playoffs.



As UE climbed to within 5 points at 66-61 and even as older Ateneo alumni implored the Blue Eagles to play with heart and passion, Tenorio drove and found Kramer cutting to the hoop and the lay-up. After Ateneo took control of the ball once more Tenorio found Escalona in the middle of the lane, who promptly passed to Intal on the wing and then jammed the ball with two hands as 56 seconds were left on the clock. That 70-61 lead would hold till the game's end, and not even the frustrations of point guards Saguindel and Rob Labagala (who both went after Tenorio in the endgame) could stop the Hail Mary squad from emerging with a 76-65 win, beating UE for the third straight time this year.

Thus, the Final Four is set. Top-seed FEU enjoys a twice-to-beat advantage over UE. But all eyes will be on the battle between #2 La Salle and #3 Ateneo. To enter the Finals, the Eagles must exorcise the demons of two blowouts in the eliminations and beat the Archers in two consecutive games. This is what we all wanted to see. This is the only way this thing could be settled. For Norman Black and company, one loss will end their Season 68 campaign. Yet two wins, as improbable as they may seem, would erase those two stinging losses from memory.

As the Araneta Coliseum prepares to reinforce itself from the guaranteed onslaught of fans in blue and green this Sunday at 2pm, the stakes are as high as they can be. A spot in the Finals. A chance for a championship. An opportunity to embarrass your archrival. A shot at immortality in this long and storied series. For the Blue Eagles, the possibility of wiping away visions of dancing Archers and hurting La Salle where it hurts the most: on the basketball court. This is Ateneo-La Salle. You couldn't have asked for a better script.

Let the call ring out once more: Go Ateneo! One big fight!

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