Wednesday evening could have ended in disappointment for the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles.
Ten days ago, the league-leaders were on the verge of an outright Finals berth. Then two straight losses had the Blue Eagles fighting for their lives.
Making things worse, Matt Nieto and the Blue Eagles were facing an eight-point deficit with six minutes remaining in the rubber match against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws.
Jasper Parker was the main instigator for FEU, lighting it up and torching the Ateneo defense to the tune of 19 points on an efficient 7-for-10 shooting clip. And the wily guard blew past Nieto with 24.9 ticks left that gave FEU a 73-72 lead.
“If you look at the game, Jasper Parker drove in the lane, and it’s my fault, so sinasabi ko lang sa sarili ko, hindi ito mangyayari, hindi ako papayag na ito mangyari sa season,” recalled Nieto, a second generation Atenean.
“We’ve been through so much, we’ve worked really hard, hindi kami puwedeng matalo dito.”
All throughout the series, the match-up between the two guards had a shootout feel to it. And guarding each other had even turned heated during Game One.
“Jasper Parker is really a guy who really loves the competition. He really accepted the challenge, and I also accept the challenge,” shared the 19-year-old floor general. “If you see our last game, we were taunting at each other because we didn’t want to lose. He’s a really tough player, he’s a fast and shifty player.
“I give him credit for really not giving up on their team.”
If Parker did not give up for the Tamaraws, Matt Nieto did the same for the Blue Eagles.
The 6-foot-1 guard was unconscious in overtime, scoring on a floater with 1:31 left while knocking down a triple 45 seconds later to give Ateneo an 85-80 edge. He finished the game 16 points, spiked by three triples.
“I just had the chance to isolate Arvin [Tolentino] and just gave what I practice and luckily it went in. I really want to thank coach Sandy [Arespacochaga] for giving me the confidence,” he expressed as Arespacochaga was sitting beside him after Ateneo’s 88-84 Finals-clinching win.
“Even though I was down in the game, he keeps on saying like, ‘kaya mo pa yan,’ ‘hindi tayo puwede matalo,’ ‘ikaw pa, kaya mo yan, may tiwala ako sa yo.’”
And this was because of that one shot by Parker that made Nieto find his next level.
