UAAP Season 73: Ateneo's Three-peat and UP's Return

Thank God I had two bets in the UAAP. Both of them stepped up to bring out the best in them. And they both were successful.

University of the Philippines Maroons showed that they are indeed the country's best cheerdance team as they took on another year as champions of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition. Thanks to them they did not bring back last year's Blue Book. :) I know that the concept is good last year, with the Blue Book and all. But if you have foreign judges who don't even know what a Blue book is, they would simply ignore the concept. Good thing they injected a few acts about festivals, some points that made us famous worldwide. nice act! See the embedded video below:

And of course, my other team, the Ateneo Blue Eagles, won their first-ever UAAP Men's Basketball 3-peat Championship! They joined the ranks of La Salle, UST, UE and FEU as one of them team that have already won grandslam championships.

It was a very difficult season for Ateneo as three of their starters, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao, and Jai Reyes, graduated last year. But the guys stepped up as Kirk Long, Nico Salva and Ryan Buenafe took on their respective leaderships roles alongside Team Captain Eric Salamat. Salamat showed his dribbling and passing prowess, while Salva and Buenafe had their of outstanding plays. With a youthful supporting casts headed by sophomore Justin Chua, big men Jumbo Escueta, Art de la Cruz and Frank Golla, and the maturity of mainstays Bacon Austria and streak-shooting Emman Monfort, the Blue Eagles are indeed up to the challenge of bringing back home the championship and gain their first-ever three-in-a-row. They showed critics that they are really a team to beat, despite the lack in size.

FEU had their share of superstars, headed by Season 73 Most Valuable Player RR Garcia, Smart Gilas trainees JR Cawaling and Aldrech Ramos, veterans Paul Sanga and Reil Cervantes, and rookie phenom Terrence Romeo. But in the end, the team with the bigger heart and the greater will to win prevailed. And it showed in the finals season.

FEU cruised the regular season as they only registered two losses, one from Adamson and another from La Salle. But in the final four, it was a strange surprise that this team, who was perceived to be inevitable, almost lost to the 4th-seeded young squad of La Salle. They still won in the overtime. In that game, it showed that they had their weaknesses. And with the seen weaknesses, Ateneo stepped up.

Ateneo, on the other hand, showed that they wanted to go back to the finals and face the team that beat them twice in the regular season. The Blue Eagles defeated Adamson in a commanding, power-packed game. Adamson had an equally powerful cast with Lester Alvarez, Alex Nuyles, Jan Colina, Jerrick Canada, and Eric Camson. In the end, the championship experience in Ateneo prevailed.

The finals began last week, Saturday. I was in Cebu so I wasn't able to watch the entire game. Thank God to Cebu Airport's free wifi I was able to watch the final minutes of the game, with Ateneo leading by at least 23 points. The game ended 72-49. I thought maybe the FEU squad was just warming up for the finals, that's why the first game turned into a blowout.

The second game last Thursday was more intense. I thought in the first quarter that Ateneo became too confident, as they trailed 22-13. Looks like Coach Norman gave them inspiring words as the first quarter ended, and their intensity wnet back to normal, making the game a certified nailbiter. The game was not decided until the last 50 seconds or so, with Ryan Buenafe hitting the long-distance dagger from at least 1 feet away from the professional three-point line. FEU tried to come back with Reil Cervantes' long distance bomb, however, it was just 1 second away from the game. The game was decided at 65-62, with Ateneo taking home the third championship in three years! Go Ateneo!

Here's a glimpse of the final minutes of play, including Buenafe's three-point bomb. Boom!

Now, Ateneo has three years of bragging rights with its three magnificent championships, its first-ever three-peat performance.

As for UP, it needs to have major overhaul of its basketball program. I hope they get it going soon. But for the cheerdance, it has yet again redeemed the State U after having ended the basketball competition with a winless record.

As for me, Thank God I am rooting for two teams in the UAAP. And both of them became champions.

UAAP Season 73: UP at 0-5

The first round is almost over. Still, we can't see the results of the reported basketball rehabilitation program for the illustrious State University! We recruited quality players this year, headed by the Chicago-based Mike Silungan and the 80-point standout Joshua Saret. We have veterans Woody Co and Smart Gilas-trained Magi Sison. Still, we are winless after five games.

Maroons want this basketball glory so badly. We want a brand new championship. The 1986 trophy is now tarnished and we badly need a new one!

UAAP Weekend: Surprising Results

Last weekend feature three classics of te UAAP season 72...

UP vs. Adamson: Arvin's final Game

First was UP's last game versus the Adamson Falcons. It was more of a no-bearing game for both teams as they were just battling the 6th spot in the elimination round. What made it a game to remember was it became Maroons point guard Arvin Braganza's last game of his UAAP career. A game that his father had wished to see but failed to do so...

Last week, in the second meeting of UP against Ateneo, Arvin's father watched in the sidelines as his son's opponents broke away early in the game. He collapsed in the midst of the second (or was it third) quarter, and was immediately attended to by the standby doctors. He was able to move that day, and somewhat signalled that he was going to be okay. He was hurried to the hospital that day, along with UP's skipper Arvin who left in the middle of the game. It seemd like everything was going to be okay, but then I was shocked to have read the news that hours later after that collapse, Arvin's dad passed away. It was very difficult for Arvin, especially that he was about to get married the following Friday...

So that game last Saturday, where he played his last as a UAAP cager, he dedicated it to his father, who was, until the end, his number one fan. Unfortunately, his efforts were not enough to bring the Maroons to win number four. The lackluster defense, alongside the killer threes of the Adamson sealed the league with a double-digit win over the Maroons. But I'm sure Arvin's dad would have been proud of his dear Arvin, for he has played hish eart out in his final game as a Maroon, and proved that he can deliver through adversity and much pain. To Arvin, as part of the UP community, my condolences to you and your family.

Ateneo vs. FEU - Surprise Comeback

The second game was a nail-biter! It was Ateneo and FEU's battle for the highly coveted top see in the UAAP final four. They both want to evade the tremendously deadly UE Red Warriors team as they posted third place in the final four. FEU was defeated by UE once, so they would try their very best to stay away from UE's path.

FEU led by as much as 18 points late in the Third Quarter! I was about to turn off the television in disgust, until I saw Emman Monfort's three-point prayer in the dying seconds of the third quarter. That gave FEU a 15-point margin entering the fourth. With that, I stayed on to watch, and voila! In just a few minutes in the fourth quarter, FEU's 18-point lead disappeared! Eric Salamat, Ryan Buenafe, Nonoy Baclao and Rabeh Al-Hussaini brought their "never say die" attitude in the fourth, giving Ateneo a scoring streak in the fourth! Nonoy Baclao sealed off FEU Center Reil Cervantes as he blocked Reil's turnaround shots! Andy Barroca had a hot start but finished off cold and damp as he was not able to make a conversion in the dying minutes of the game. FEU needed to win this game by five or more points in order to be in the number one spot, but the Reil Cervantesmis in the free throw line during the final seconds gave Ateneo a 74-73 win over the Tamaraws. Now, they will face the streaking UE Red Warriors, while Ateneo will battle the silent but deadly UST Growling Tigers. It really feels different to not having La Salle in the final four. The Blue Eagles surely miss their beloved arch-enemy. Better luck next year boys.

Cheerdance Surprise!

Another surprise show was the Cheerdance Competition, where, for the first time in years, neither UP nor UST won the top award! FEU Tamaraws won the championship, followed by Ateneo and UP. UST came out fourth.

Many UP alumni and alumnae went ballistic over the results. Some would even say that the judges did not appreciate art, grace, and real cheerdance when they see one. My take on this is that it is sometimes good to not win a game. This often gives the team a wake-up call in its strive for excellence. When you are already on top, much is expected. UP has already set the bar in terms of making the moves and doing the grooves in cheerdance. This year, they came short of expectation. They had a repertoire and other symbolisms that only UP students and alumni could understand. If UP was one of the judges, they could have won the competition since it concentrated on UP culture, school spirit, student activism, and other pressing issues of a UP student, then and now. But still, we have to consider that some of the judges are not from this country, and they might not have a single idea about UP's idealism and culture. That's how this competition works. They might have done an excellent routine in a deep and Isko perspective, but of course, judges would look at it differently. And on this note, they failed to please the judges.

In fairness to both Ateneo and FEU, their routines were okay, their gimmicks were good enough. This is just a reflection that the UAAP Cheerdance Competition is no longer a bi-polar competition between the Maroons and the Tigers. All schools have stepped up, the competition has become more exciting. What UP can do is to stop sulking and sourgraping about this year's results, but look forward and strive harder for next year's competition. I'm confident that being Iskos and Iskas, they know well how to handle adversities, pick up the pace, and move on. Next year is a totally different year. We will return to being champions. :)

Down with the Sickness

What do you do if you're down with a communicable, debilitating Tonsilitis? For me, I had the most productive recuperation: I had the opportunity to watch at least 5 videos and almost all locals shows from yesterday to early today. That's for not having a local cable provider. :)

I did not plan to watch the four UAAP games this weekend because they all were virtually no-bearing games (except of course for the UE-La Salle match up yesterday). Because I had nothing else to do, I watched all four. It turned out to be exciting games! The UP-FEU game (2pm, August 29) was okay, with UP giving their 110% to narrow down the double-digit deficit against the #2 team in the league. Their efforts were futile, giving FEU their 10th win of the season against 2 losses.

The second game of Saturday showdown also ended as gut-wrenching, after a controversial "not counted" call with Hyram Bagatsing's and one play. I think they should have given the "counted" call on that play. Even if how many times the tape was played, it was an obvious counted possession. La Salle ended up losing by two points after a turnover caused by no other than La Salle's "rising star," Joshua Webb. La Salle fell to 5th spot at 4-7 and UE took on solo-third place.

The Sunday Spectacle featured two seemingly lop-sided games, with NU taking on UST in the first game and Ateneo going up against their bird brothers, Adamson. As expected, UST gave a blowout loss to NU, with NU failing to keep up with UST's steam. At first, I thought this was another upset in the making with NU taking the lead in the early strages of the first quarter, but when I browsed to the Brian Viloria match and got back to the game, UST was already leading by double-figures. And the rest was history.

By the way, my congratulations to Brian Viloria for winning via unanimous decision over Jesus Iribe of Mexico. I still can't figure out if he's the Hawaiian or the Filipino punch. No matter what punch he carries, I hope he punches big.

The second game between the two high-flying mascots in Ateneo and Adamson turned out to be a nail-biter. Ateneo was struggling with offense, turning over the ball at least five times per quarter, with a miserable field goal shooting percentage. Meanwhile, Adamson thought it was never too late to bring in their A-game towards the season's homestretch. They rebounded and defended well against the Eagles, who could not penetrate the paint during the first half. Just like the other close games they fought against other teams, they lost steam in the final 2 minutes of the fourth quarter. They gave up useless fouls, executed sub-par plays (Lester Alvarez and that Cabrera should realize that they have teammates even in the final minutes of the quarter), overall played miserably. In a tightly contested game, the fourth quarter is all that matters. Even when you shot perfectly in the first three quarters, if you play dismally in the fourth, expect to get down. Ateneo took on the first twice-to-beat slot in the UAAP final four with that win.

I hope I get well soon. Looks like one tablet of Clarithromycin a day is not powerful enough for the virus I got.

Go Ateneo!

UP's Third Win

And the La Salle slump continues... This time, they lost to the UP Fighting Maroons. UP now has three wins on top of seven losses. La Salle, now 0-3 in the second round, posts a 4-6 record. This is probably one of the worst seasons since Franz Pumaren's entry into the Archers.

Why has La Salle been slumping so far? This is because until today, they can not find their trusty go-to-guy. Yesterday, UP found a one-two punch in rookie Mikee Reyes and veteran Mark Lopez. The support staff in Martin Reyes and Woody Co sealed the deal for UP. As for La Salle, they lack the superstar power. When the going gets tough, no one wants to step up. James Mangahas lost his steam from his good performance last year. Is it because he wasn't given the Captain position? :) Team captain Hyram Bagatsing cannot deliver when it's needed the most. Arvie Bringas is just too young and turnover-prone. PJ Barua is inconsistent. Kish Co lacked the minutes. Maui Villanueva just can't seem to go the distance.

Joshua Webb? I need not say more about Joshua Webb's lack of spark. He simply can't pull it off. As I said in my previous entry, Joshua Webb needs to accept that he is not the superstar that he once was. Yesterday, I will give him the credit for trying. But in these tries he gave up 4 blocks and a few more turnovers. He needs a bit more effort (and humility) to get things done in the La Salle squad. They wouldn't want Pumaren's "last season" to end in a sour note. :)

UP will have a bigger fighting chance if the Growling Tigers and Warriors lose their respective games today. They have four games left, two of which are from the two biggest teams in the UAAP Season 72, FEU and Ateneo. For UP, they proved that they can beat down Goliaths so I think this is still n exciting season for them.

Cheers to the UP Fighting Maroons!

UP's Moment of Truth

UP will battle the Defending Champions tomorrow, at 4pm. All you UP alumni and fans out there, cheer for our beloved school!

This is a make-or-break situation for the Fighting Maroons, now that they are on a 6-6 win-loss card, while the Green Archers are at 7-4 after an overtime win over the UE Red Warriors last Thursday. If the Maroons win this game, it will give them a better chance of grabbing the last spot of the Final Four. Their scorecard will improve to 7-6, and La Salle will be 7-5. La Salle will be one loss away from losing its final four bid. However, if the Archers win this game, it will automatically eliminate UP from the final four race.

UP hasn't been in the Final Four since 1997. They haven't had another taste fo the championship since the Ronnie Magsanoc-Benjie Paras days. With the firepower of Marvin Cruz and rookie Axel Doruelo, the domination of Nestor David and Abby Santos, there is a very big chance that UP could make it this year.

UP started out great this season 68. They went 3-0 until they succumbed a lost to UE (I couldn't really recall). However, due to major lapses in the offnse and defense, and the some injuries of their key players, UP went haywire in the early stages of the second round. Hopefully they will bounce back after their big win against the Adamson Falcons.

I hope they play great on Saturday... this is a do-or-die situation... They have no other options.

Push on, UP...