Ateneo on course for back-to-back UAAP titles

(Update) The No. 1 team is right where it belongs: the UAAP Season 72 men’s basketball finals. Displaying the form that made it the hottest team in the league, top seed Ateneo shellacked an upset-conscious Final Four rival University of Sto. Tomas, 81-64, Sunday to collar the first berth to the best-of-three finals. The emphatic triumph put the Eagles into position for a possible back-to-back championships, a feat last achieved for Ateneo by the respected crew of Danny Francisco, Alex Araneta, Jayvee Gayoso, Nonoy Chuatico, Jun Reyes and Olsen Racela in 1987 and 1988. The cagers from Loyola Heights, who have strung up 11 straight victories dating back to the eliminations, now await the winner of the other semis pairing between No. 2 Far Eastern and No. 3 University of the East. The Tamaraws and the Warriors are set to dispute the other finals slot on Thursday at the Big Dome. “It (game) was probably the capsule of our entire season," said Ateneo coach Norman Black, who steered the Eagles to their sixth championship appearance since the Final Four format was instituted in 1994. “We played really good defense. We gave up some in the end but for the most part, we played stifling defense," he added. How stifling? The Tigers were able to convert only 19 of their 69 shots on the floor. “We forced them (Tigers) to a low percentage. We were able to shoot the basketball and we were able to run, which was what we wanted to do going into the game," said Black. So dominating were the Eagles that by the end of the game, they owned two new records in the Final Four – the most fastbreak points in a game with 23 and the most steals in a game with 13. Too much firepower Forward Nico Salva sat out the game to serve out his suspension for a punching foul he committed against FEU’s Jens Knuttel in the last game of the elims. But he was hardly missed as Ateneo had more than enough weapons in its arsenal to take the fight out of the overmatched Tigers. Eric Salamat terrorized the UST’s ball handlers with his quick hands and made easy baskets possible with his nifty assists on the offensive end to help Ateneo build a 14-point lead in the second quarter. Nonoy Baclao delivered inside the paint on both offense and defense while Jai Reyes and Ryan Buenafe connected on their precision outside shots to anchor a major run that gave the Eagles a 63-44 lead at the end of the third. And of course there was Rabeh Al-Hussaini with his usual production (14 points, seven rebounds and five assists) for the defending champions, who had their biggest lead at 23, 68-45, early in the fourth. Reyes, a nephew of back-to-back champion player Jun, topscored for the Eagles with 17 points, along with eight rebounds and three assists while Buenafe accounted for 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Baclao had a season-high 13 markers, six boards and three blocks. Salamat did not score much (six markers) but gave them five assists and four steals – contributions highly-appreciated by his mentor. “Defensively, Eric is one of the main keys and he contributed again. He was such a distraction on defense. And the good thing is that he is a two-way player," said Black. While the Katipunan-based cagers moved forward with their title quest, the Tigers kissed their aspirations goodbye. The players from Espana Blvd., who were hoping to relive the “Spirit of 2006" by dropping the upset axe on the favored Ateneans again, bombed out of Season 72 with four straight losses since the elims. It was also the Tigers’ seventh straight loss to the Eagles since 2007. The game was likewise the last for MVP Dylan Ababou, who finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, as well as veteran Khasim Mirza, who logged 14 markers and 11 boards. - GMANews.TV