The eight-year wait for the dream match-up is finally over
After suffering heartbreak against the same team a year ago, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles exacted revenge, dethroning the Far Eastern University Tamaraws after a 69-68 win in overtime at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Isaac Go, even after suffering a bloody nose with 3:40 left, scored overtime’s only field goal with 1:24 left — a put-back off a miss by Mike Nieto — to give Ateneo the lead. He finished the game with 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting and 14 rebounds.
“I think what happened was I dove for a loose ball [after the elbow] which made it much painful,” Go said about the injury. “I overreacted when I saw the blood. When the game is on the line, you just have to play.”
A turnover by Thirdy Ravena with less than seven seconds remaining gave FEU a chance to steal the game, but Ron Dennison’s shot failed to beat the game clock.
“Shot went down. I don’t think you can separate this team’s with a sledgehammer and a crowbar. Our last shot just went in,” first-year Ateneo head coach Tab Baldwin reflected about the series.
“Two really tough defensive teams, two teams that play with a lot of pride and a lot of heart.”
Behind Thirdy Ravena, the Blue Eagles went on a 13-2 run during the third frame to give Ateneo the biggest lead of the game, 53-47 with 1:13 left in the quarter. Ravena scored four points during the frame and dished out an assist.
The second-year Blue Eagle added 13 points and eight rebounds, while Mike Nieto scored 13 markers as well.
Playing in his last game, Monbert Arong led FEU’s charge. He scored six of his 15 points in the final frame, including a highlight drive over the outstretched arms of Adrian Wong to tie the game at 64-all with 1:25 left.
But Ravena was able to connect on a floater 11 seconds later to return the lead back to Ateneo. The Tamaraws, however, were fortunate that a miss by Jojo Trinidad hit the body of Ravena to give them back the possession. Dennison sent the game into overtime after connecting on his patented floater with 37.8 seconds left.
“I though our rebounding was much, much better. We accepted that Raymar Jose and Prince Orizu are outstanding rebounders,” Baldwin said about keeping close with FEU in the rebounding department, 47 to 53. “I think we took their winning formula away from them in the fourth quarter. They knew it was coming and they stood up to it.”
King Tamaraw Raymar Jose tallied a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in his final UAAP game. Coach Nash Racela is also set to move on to the professional ranks, taking over TNT Katropa.
“My heart goes out to coach Nash. What an outstanding coach,” Baldwin shared about his co-league.
Ateneo last faced La Salle in the finals back in 2008, winning the series in two games. Their regular season series is tied at one apiece, with the Blue Eagles handing La Salle their only loss of the season.
“They have the MVP and Jeron Teng who is in the mythical five,” Go said about the match-up. “We just have to get ready for them.”
The Ateneo Blue Eagles take on arch-rivals De La Salle University Green Archers in the best-of-three finals starting on Saturday, December 3, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Scores:
ADMU (69) – Ravena 13, Nieto Mi 13, Go 12, Tolentino 9, Wong 8, Nieto Ma 7, Asistio 3, Verano 2, Black 2, Ikeh 0.
FEU (68) – Arong 15, Jose 12, Escoto 11, Dennison 8, Inigo 7, Comboy 5, Orizu 4, Trinidad 4, Nunag 2, Tuffin 0, Ebona 0, Holmqvist 0.
Quarterscores: 15-20, 38-41, 53-49, 66-66, 69-68.
