20094:28 pm
The View From the Armchair: Game 7 vs Ateneo
Posted by Nel
What could you say about yesterday’s cliffhanger of a game with Ateneo, where we lost by 4 points in overtime? I read that “Ateneo won, but we didn’t lose”, and “we gave it away”. Some of our supporters have described it as was a “feel good” loss. Feel good loss? How can you feel good about a loss? Isn’t that a paradox?
But if you think about it, yeah, many of us didn’t feel bad even though our Archers lost yesterday to our arch-rival. Our young team unexpectedly held the much more experienced Blue Eagles to a standoff after 40 minutes of regulation play, after dominating the middle quarters. As in close games, a missed ft or fg, if converted, could have made all the difference, but that’s water under the bridge.
What the team did right
The Green Archers shocked the complacent Blue Eagles with the high octane offense and defense. They repeatedly attacked the much vaunted Ateneo interior defense, led by Joshua’s daredevil drives. After Al-Husseini erupted for 10 points in the first quarter, they stymied him by double teaming just before he could execute his turnaround moves, and assigned Yutien to cover him whenever he took off for a jumper. Yutien took away the game of last year's MVP with 2 clear blocks and stole the ball from him twice. So frustrated was Al-Husseini that he committed an unsportsmanlike foul on Yutien.
The Archers battled the Blue Eagles to a draw on the rebounding front with both teams collaring 42 rebounds, and had a slight edge on steals, 6-5. Surprisingly, we had more blocks, 5-4, and Yutien showed why he was selected by the coaches despite his slight physique. Jovet strung together 6 consecutive points in the first half, displayed some good moves including a mid-range jumper, and showed why he was a prized recruit last year.
3 out of the first 7 games of the Archers were overtime games, of which they won 2. That's the most of any team in this year's tournament. That experience will help them in future games.
Team rebounding continued to do well. Veterans James and Bader may not have scored well, but they helped defensively and helped out on the board work with 9 rebounds between them. Bader succeeded in picking the pocket of the Blue Eagles twice aside from ably defending the Ateneo guards.
What wasn’t quite right
The momentary lapses of concentration recurred, and these were punished by the alert Blue Eagles. Twice Reyes used the slightest hesitation from our defenders on the pick-and-roll to sink 3pointers that allowed Ateneo to cut the deficit to a single basket. The pressure defense almost always forced the Blue Eagles to almost use up their shot clock, but still allowed Ateneo to score. Our boxing out wasn’t so effective, allowing 14 offensive boards by the opponents which were converted into 8 second chance points. There is still some more work needed on defense, particularly on those high pick-and-rolls to prevent the shooter from getting enough shooting space. The standard Ateneo sets against the zone defense were effective in the final plays as well, allowing short jumpers and follow up rebounds.
There was still some hesitation on the part of our players on offense, except Joshua who repeatedly penetrated the stunned Ateneo defense. James passed up on open shots he would normally make and elected to take more difficult shots. After hitting those treys against UST, Peejay fired mostly blanks yesterday. Kish continued his heady play but committed a couple of lapses on offense. There were also a couple of lazy passes that were snared or tipped by the Ateneo defenders. Hyram forgot the quick hands of Salamat and had his pocket picked, but made up for it with that buzzer beater to force the overtime. And the team played not to lose after building that 10point lead, stopped playing aggressively, and permitted Ateneo to get back in the game.
The rookie watch
Arvie followed up his great performance against UST with another double-digit scoring game, hit a couple of treys, and topped our rebounding list with 6. Sam played sparingly, but hit a triple in the first quarter. Joel played only 2 minutes but connected on his only fg attempt. Yutien was the revelation yesterday, holding his own against the vaunted frontline of Ateneo, blocking 3 shots, and even scoring on a nifty finger roll. Gab and Jed did not play yesterday.
The outlook for the second round
The Archers continued to improve on a game-to-game basis. After outlasting UST in double overtime, the Archers were dragged into another overtime. These two games show that the Archers can put together explosive sequences of plays to take the lead as well as play catch up. They now also have to be ready whenever the opponents make their own runs, by avoiding “playing not to lose” and continuing what they were doing well. Teamwork on offense and defense still needs a bit of fine tuning – we only had 13 assists out of 26 fgs, and there were some moments of hesitation on defense which Ateneo was able to capitalize on.
Some will contend that Ateneo played below 80% yet beat the Archers, who played at 110%. Probably kinda accurate, at least regarding the 80%. But if you think about it, some of the difficulty the Blue Eagles encountered was due to the efforts of the Archers. Without that pressure, Ateneo would probably have played their A-game from the opening tip. So the defense has continued to improve.
Perceptions will vary, depending on which school you side with. Many green supporters are convinced that the green-and-white team played beyond themselves yesterday. I think not. Some of our players didn’t contribute much yesterday, but others stepped up to keep the game close and competitive. I feel that the Archers aren’t at their peak yet, so we might have seen something like 75-80% of their true potential. The team has not yet had a game where they were firing on all cylinders. Their game is still growing, still evolving, but they are starting to master their roles. It may still take a couple of games more before they start hitting their stride. And some players still have to find their rhythm on a consistent basis. So if you look at it, there’s still a lot of upside to this team.
The thing is, I suspect that there is a possibility that our team could still be pulling its punches. Getting to the final 4 is the first objective, and all that’s needed is to compile enough wins to get there. It’s not necessary to win every game at this point. So there’s still time and a few games to learn, fine tune, and tweak. In contrast, we’ve probably already seen the best of the other teams, and their performance will probably plateau out from here on.
We’re at 4-3 to start the 2nd round, 2 games behind FEU and Ateneo, with UE and UST crowding us. If we merely duplicate our win-loss performance, we’ll end up with an 8-6 record tally, enough to get us to the final 4 or at least gain a playoff for that berth. If we go 5-2 which is possible if they continue their improvement, we finish at 9-5 and have a shot at the twice-to-beat advantage. Because of all this uncertainty, the 2nd round will be interesting, exciting, and nerve wracking. So come and watch the games live, don’t blink because you might just miss something that the team has been keeping under wraps until now.
KEEP THE FAITH!
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August 10th, 2009 - 17:24
Come on guys! Ateneo had a hard time. We lost the endgame because we forgot to defend the interior did not execute well our offense. I just hope Peejay, James, and Ferdinand will step up their game in the 2nd round. Just try not to be complacent when you have the lead.
August 10th, 2009 - 17:45
go la salleeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 10th, 2009 - 19:02
FOCUS!! FOCUS!! FOCUS!! turning point of the game was when joshua webb taunted buenafe on a getaway lay-up that he missed. that’s when ateneo made its run. lesson to be learned? cockiness will get you burned in the end.
August 10th, 2009 - 20:11
hey!! When is the next game of ADMU and DLSU— -is it on AUGUST 16??
August 10th, 2009 - 20:40
Isn’t it funny that last game’s hero would turn out to be this games goat? Why gang up on a Barua? Don’t you need him in later, more crucial games when he comes out of that shooting slump? Why finger point a Malabes? Doesn’t he want to win for us? Why point out the mental immaturity of a Webb? Isn’t he allowed to still grow and improve? Why point out a 0-10 shooting Mangahas? Wasn’t he the steadiest player during the UST game? Didn’t you see Yutien’s dominant defense on Rabeh? Didn’t you see Rabeh’s focus completely shattered after those two block shots off his pet moves? Didn’t you see him bothering Rabeh’s dribble, throwing off his timing? Didn’t you see the arrogance of a Sumalinog after hitting a tree point shot, was the first to trash talk Webb? Didn’t you see the arrogance of a Rabeh who kept looking at the La Salle crowd in defiance until he was brought down to earth by Yutien? Don’t you know that the reason Rabeh came down with a sprained foot was because he was forced to compete for the ball? Will you interpret this as an 80%-85% performance? Didn’t you see Jovet Mendoza coming into his own? Didn’t you see a Marata hit a pressure laden three point shot? Didn’t you see a Bringas slowly forming into the hub of a player that we were all hoping for? Didn’t you see an ever ready Kish Co ready to hustle for every play? Don’t you see what we can look forward to in the coming weeks and years to come?
One final question: Didn’t we watch the same game????
Come on La Sallites!!!! This is our team!!!! Pump up the Animo!!!!!
August 10th, 2009 - 20:44
I think they got too excited with all those 3 pointers in the end. Does anybody know the head to head count of La Salle vs Ateneo (win-loss) ?
August 10th, 2009 - 20:57
We were up 12 at the half and we had the lead all game long. Good thing to know that Ateneo’s bragging rights of that game would only last for a week.
AN1MO!
August 10th, 2009 - 21:15
the last game should definitely be a learning experience for the archers. with the way they played (especially in the first half), they can sweep the 2nd round and go to the finals.
August 10th, 2009 - 21:57
ANIMO LA SALLE!!!! Joshua Webb did a great job, stepping up and becoming the lead scorer eventhough he’s just a sophie as an Archer.. We’re very proud of what you did on that game, BUT! that wasn’t necessary and cockiness will only lead to uncertainty. Job well done to the rookies who stoop up, and they we’re so good playing.. Arthur Bringas, Bader, and Arthur Vincent Bringas didn’t loose hope till the end… but even though we lost to the Blue Eagles, we stood and fight, and also we cheered for you guys, also for our Alma Matter! ANIMO LASALLE! Ateneo did really play great, eventually scoring on the crucial parts of the game! Animo to the two schools who really played well and giving a show thats really worth watching for. wE LOVE YOU TITA CORY!
August 10th, 2009 - 22:18
ANIMO! KEEP THE FAITH!
YOU GUYS CAN BEAT ATENEO ANYTIME!
August 11th, 2009 - 00:07
im a die hard fan here,from ID 96 and been following da games even here in the states, we even stayed from 2am till almost 5am LA time to watch the game, one thing ive noticed, the team is playing with a big heart but maybe due to inexperiences, dey tend to let down der guards when dey get tired especially during the overtime period. And also, Webb is pretty good, reminds me of tony boy espinosa and mike cortez, but i just dont like the fact that he is putting too much Swag on, sabi nga sa larong kalye ” NAUNA ang YABANG bago laro” i can understand dat emotions are high but some of his mistakes were caused by being too much mayabang, like he looks first at his opponent even before making the shot, hence dat missed layup and dat kicking incident whch cost us a huge turnaround, u guys know wat im talking bout, and wats up with MALABES and MANGAHAS!!, cmon guys, u are now the veterans of the team and yet u cannot bring an impact to the team, James and Malabes are too predictable and u have a greater chance of winning the lotto than counting whether dey will make the shot or turnover the ball, Malabes, wat gives? uve been playing long enough to make good decisions!!, and james, same move, and go shoot a thousand times to practice… We have no “Mon Jose or Cali John Orfrecion right now, no ren ren or ALlado as a go to guy”, I give props to Andrade, MEndoza,Bringas and Webb andKish co for showing up their game, but the vets disappointed me and mybe us.. i hop eda 2nd round gets better… GREEN ARCHERS not making enough treys is usually unheard of!!
August 11th, 2009 - 00:11
that was a hell of a game, I agree with most of proud archer said, we did watch the same game, clearly we can beat any team. Webb had a heart of a lion but unfortunately also had a lion’s instinct to get back at austria that may have affected the momentum. Mangahas is the steadiest player, but I’ve never seen him had any impact on DLSU-ADMU games from the previous years up to now (please correct me if i’m wrong on that one). But you know what, I think we can win and that’s all that matters.
August 11th, 2009 - 02:37
Good point, Proud Archer. Basketball history will tell you that there will always be poetic justice – the good will prevail, and the bad will be punished. One can always conclude that the team that prematurely celebrates a victory, or a team that is consciously arrogant, will most likely get knocked out in the end. I think the latter applies to us. Webb’s monster game was tainted by his one “monstrous act” – that kicking incident was the turning point of the game! Yes, our guys are young, but we need them to grow up real soon if we are to entertain chances of reaching the Final 4. Basketball history will also tell you that being young does not mean you cannot display class and humility. If only our guys would behave like a Ritualo or a Casio. We have another chance this Sunday! Rektikano!
August 11th, 2009 - 11:33
I agree with Proud Archer and Pats…we are La Sallites and should be decent players not hooligans…
To PING, will you please tell me here what channel or station do you watch our games in L.A so I can relay it to my batch there…Much thanks to everyone, An1mo to you all…see you all again in Araneta…ALL MUST GO GREEN….
August 11th, 2009 - 17:38
when’s the next DLSU-admu game?
August 11th, 2009 - 17:44
On Sunday, 2nd game. Probably will follow the same arrangements as last Sunday’s game.
August 11th, 2009 - 20:15
The question on my mind now is…Will Webb be suspended for the “kick”? And yeah, I think Ateneo is Mangahas’ kryptonite. Could it be that he still can’t get over the Baclao block that haunted him last season? I wish he can be more of a fighter and have that devil may care attitude like the others. Look at Maui, he was blocked HARD last sunday but I don’t think he let that affect the rest of his performance. I hope we get ‘em next time! GO LA SALLE!
August 11th, 2009 - 20:54
I don’t think Webb will be suspended since he wasn’t even ejected from the court.
August 11th, 2009 - 21:18
Nel, thanks man!
August 12th, 2009 - 02:23
Go Yutien! By how you played against ADMU, I can see Jun Limpot in you when he was still a rookie Archer. That’s how he contributed on defense at first, and then eventually later blossomed into an offensive threat. Keep it up, you’ll surely get there! LABAN LA SALLE!!!
August 12th, 2009 - 12:40
ANIMO LA SALLE!
We know that maybe half of the members of the team are stepping up. But we don’t stop there. I hope that all of them would.
I can see a bright future on the side of the Archers. I hope they’d continue their good work and make even better plays this 2nd round and even on the future seasons.
ANIMO!
August 12th, 2009 - 12:49
i would rather have 10 joshua webbs, with a fighting heart,on the team than have 10 good players without fighting spirit. Webb had THE right mind set for the game. Come to think of it, he wouldnt have “kicked” the blue player if he hadnt been undercut… di ba? in short “PALABAN”!!!!!
ANIMO LA SALLE!!!!!!
August 13th, 2009 - 09:21
la salle had improved! i’ve never seen a great game…
just stay focus util the end of the game..
don’t get into fights..
defend the hoops.. less fouls.. make 3 point shots..
and teamwork!! and it will be ok! and pray!! goodluck on your next game with Ateneo!
it is a close game..and you’ve all improve!
Animo Lasalle!