ANTIPOLO – In 18 minutes of action, Matt Nieto, the third-leading scorer of Ateneo, produced an outstanding statistic: zero points.
While the Ateneo lifer contributed seven rebounds and three assists, it is the big fat zero that stands out considering that he averaged 7.67 points per game before Ateneo’s latest victory, an 88-51 rout over National University, Saturday at Ynares Center.
“You know me. I don’t really care about stats.
“Whether I had a good game or ako lang di naka-shoot, I just want na panalo kami. I just look at my efficiency, [and] sabi ni coach Tab (Baldwin) I was plus-27. What I care about is doing all I can to help the team basta ‘di kami papatalo,” commented the fifth-year guard.
As the primary ball-handler for the Blue Eagles, the team expects the 6-foot Nieto to hold the leather for most of the time of the contest. However, he was never one for individual glory, and he instead set the tone for the Blue Eagles.
This was evident in the number of field goals he attempted — only four, with all of them failing to fall.
“I don’t really care. Wala talaga sa akin ‘yun. I just take what the defense gives me, and kung maka-shoot ako, that’s just a bonus,” said the two-time UAAP gold medalist after all of his teammates scored in the contest except for him.
“My role sa team is to really be the leader inside the court, be the court general.”
It is safe to say that Nieto embodies the team-first spirit of Baldwin.
There is no ‘i’ in the word ‘team’, which the Ateneo lifer helped prove that against the Bulldogs. Just because he missed out on the fun of scoring doesn’t mean he did not do his job as a floor general. It is that mindset of playing for each other that has catapulted the Blue Eagles to where they are today.
“Greatness. Next man up mantra namin.
“Before the game, sabi niya (Baldwin), dahil malapit na playoffs, this is the time we make our teammates better. Sa akin, malaki impact nun so I really wanted to share the ball, build up yung confidence ng iba. I want to let sina Troy (Mallilin), sina BJ (Andrade) play with confidence,” said the 23 for 2023 pool member.
To end the elimination round, Nieto and the rest of the Blue Eagles have a date against the UP Fighting Maroons, who are dead set on pulling one back following the thrashing they received in the first round. The game is big for Ateneo, since a win for them brings them an automatic finals ticket.
But all those ramifications do not matter for the 22-year-old.
“Sa amin, mindset lang namin is next game — and that’s UP. Pero siyempre, mahirap naman sa amin na ‘di namin isipin ‘yun kasi lahat, ‘yun sinasabi eh. Sweep ganito, sweep ganyan. Matagal nang walang nakaka-sweep sa UAAP — and that’s the goal from the start, win as many games, ‘wag matalo,” he shared.
“We learned na rin naman from the thirteen games we had and hopefully, magamit namin ‘yun going into UP and then going into playoffs.”
