BLACK and BLUE

July 10, 2005
LA SALLE 78, ATENEO 60

Quezon City – It was worth all the drama and hype leading up to game day as the De La Salle University Green Archers began defense of its UAAP Men’s Basketball crown Sunday (July 10) on a high note by plastering bitter archrival Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles, 78-60, before another SRO crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.

The game caught many observers by surprise as Ateneo was installed as the pre-game favorite due to their height and experience advantage plus they had a new multi-titled veteran coach at the helm. To complete their preparations, the Eagles went to the United States to attend basketball camps. The vertically challenged Archers showed that height is not always might in basketball and turned to its patented pesky defense, smooth running game and sizzling outside shooting to pull off the trick. With an estimated 7,000 green shirt-wearing fans shouting their lungs out and the La Salle Pep Squad in a concerted effort to outdo the other 7,000 members of the audience, the Archers made sure that their fanatics’ efforts would be handsomely rewarded.

Archers coach Franz Pumaren achieved milestone by notching his 100th win as a UAAP coach and he did it against no less than the man known in local basketball circles as “Mr. 100 Percent”, Norman Black, who was making his debut as a collegiate coach after nearly two decades in the professional league. “I feel like it was only yesterday that I started to coach the Archers,” said Coach Pumaren in describing how the win compared to his 99 others achieved since 1998, making him the longest tenured among the eight current coaches. “It’s a big difference coaching in college and in the pros,” added Coach Pumaren, “we were just lucky that we caught them flatfooted and continued to play aggressive.”

Joseph Casio came off the bench and sank a triple that shattered a 9-9 deadlock and the Archers never looked back. The only other time the scored was tied was at 2-2 and the Blue Eagles never tasted the lead throughout the whole contest. Drawing more punch from the reserves, Ryan Arana and Pocholo Villanueva hit two more field goals to give the Archers the first period, 20-11. But as both sides headed to their benches, the referees awarded two free due to a phantom Archer foul at the buzzer that were converted by Macky Escalona, 13-20.

Continuing from where they left off, Casio and Arana bombarded the Eagles with four triples as part of a 16-0 blast to begin the second period, 36-13. A field goal by LA Tenorio at the five-minute mark broke the run but the Archers were merciless with Tyrone Tang and Jun Cabatu keying a 14-5 windup as the Archers’ advantage ballooned to 30 markers at the half, 50-20.

Joseph Yeo scored a basket to open second half hostilities and establish the Archers’ biggest lead of the game, 52-30. Tenorio and JC Intal tried their best to enliven their teammates and the pro-Eagles fans with good plays but Cabatu managed to convert timely hits to prevent the Eagles from inching any closer. Still, the Eagles trimmed the deficit thanks to a slew of fouls assessed to the Archers towards the end of the third period resulting in free throws with the Eagles converting eight out of 11. Ironically, the Eagles managed to escape with no fouls during that key stretch.

Yeo and Villanueva then combined for the Archers first nine points to begin the final period to push the Archers on top by 26 with three minutes to play, 76-48. Entering the final two minutes and the outcome long decided, Coach Pumaren decided to give rookies Lionel Rivera and Kish Co some playing time. “You will see more of the rookies as the season goes by,” explained Coach Pumaren. “It’s part of the breaking-in process.” Rookies James Mangahas and PJ Barua were the only Archers that failed to get playing time.

Cabatu paced the Archers with 15 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes of action followed by Casio with 14. Yeo chipped in 10. Tenorio led the Eagles with 14 points while Magnum Membrere added 10 as only two Eagles submitted twin digits.

So effective was the Archers’ pressure defense that it resulted in 26 Eagle turnovers that were promptly converted into 35 easy Archer points. The Archers also put up more shots (75 versus 58) with a better shooting percentage (0.440 versus 0.362) to neutralize the taller Eagles domination of the rebounds (38 to 47). Finally, the Archers played more as a team as shown by their edge in the assists department, 18-8. One area that the Archers have to work on is free throw shooting, making only four out of 12 attempts.

Meanwhile, the De La Salle-Zobel Junior Archers set the tone for the day by waylaying the Ateneo High School Blue Eaglets in Juniors Division action, 75-71. Miguel de Asis and David Urra led Zobel with 16 markers each while David Webb followed with 15. Simon Atkins barely missed a triple-double with nine points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Dan Salvador also had a great game with eight points and 11 rebounds.

Up next for the Archers will be the unpredictable University of the Philippines Maroons on Thursday (July 14) at the Blue Eagle Gym along Katipunan Avenue starting at 4:00PM. Zobel faces UP Integrated School ea rlier that day at 12:00PM. The Maroons are coming off a 69-66 squeaker of a win over Santo Tomas on opening day and will parade three former Archers in Mika Vainio, Michael Gavino and Team B member Michael Padolina in a most intriguing match-up. - Anthony Servinio