The Eagles had to beat La Salle twice to qualify for the Finals and last Sunday’s defeat cemented Ateneo’s fate. It was also the Eagles’ third loss in as many games to the Archers this season.
To be sure, there was definite improvement in Ateneo’s overall performance but as Black dejectedly admitted, what some campus boosters will remember are the three setbacks to archrival La Salle.
But the bottom line should leave Black with a sense of gratification. Ateneo wound up third, a notch higher than last year, and registered 11 wins, one more than last season. Consider, too, the wealth of experience Ateneo’s holdovers gained from the hostilities.
"The experience is what we can build on for next season," said Black who has a two-year contract to coach the Eagles. "Remember that L. A. (Tenorio) and JC (Intal) were the only players this year who got a lot of minutes last year. It was only this season that guys like Doug (Kramer), Japeth (Aguilar) and Macky (Escalona) got playing time. Compare that with the experience of La Salle’s holdovers like Joseph (Yeo), TY (Tang) and even JV (Casio) who was brilliant in last year’s Finals. Still, we got 11 wins, the same number of wins as La Salle entering the Finals."
And Black shouldn’t forget Ateneo’s seven-game win streak that rekindled the spirits of Eagle diehards after a season-opening loss to the Archers. It was the longest winning streak of any team in the UAAP this season.
Although Black isn’t the type to make excuses, he wondered out loud if the UAAP system of breaking ties to determine the placings in the Final Four made sense.
La Salle, Ateneo and the University of the East (UE) finished the double-round eliminations with identical 10-4 records. They were all tied for second spot behind Far Eastern University. To break the logjam, the team with the highest quotient was awarded the second spot and the other two teams played for third.
A basketball expert said the tiebreak rule should’ve been the other way around or seed the team with the lowest quotient at No. 4 and leave the other two teams to vie for second place.
As it turned out, the playoff for third spot wasn’t too meaningful because the twice-to-beat advantage wasn’t a reward for the winner. A playoff for a twice-to-beat advantage would’ve been a juicier proposition. It would’ve also triggered a best-of-three series between the protagonists.
Black said the only Ateneo players not returning next year are Tenorio, Magnum Membrere and Badjie del Rosario, meaning Escalona, Kramer, Aguilar, Intal and the rest of the cast will be back with a vengeance.
Then there’s former San Beda star Ronnie Bughao who redshirted this year to establish residence at Ateneo. He’s expected to pick up from where Tenorio left off.
A combo guard, Bughao is now playing for Ateneo’s training team which is unbeaten in a league where UAAP schools are represented by their B-squads. He’s the younger brother of Derick who played 38 games in two seasons for Tanduay in the pros in 1990-2000.
Black said after Sunday’s defeat, he received 15 text messages from Ateneo supporters. "They were very positive and encouraging messages from those involved with the basketball program so it meant a lot to me," said Black.
Ateneo’s lack of maturity was evident in last Sunday’s game. A rash of turnovers led to the Eagles collapse in the third quarter after Ateneo held a slim lead at the half.
"We were doing okay until Yeo took over," said Black. "He’s such an athletic player with loads of talent. Give La Salle credit for the win. They deserved it."
Black also cited La Salle’s Ryan Arana for his tenacious play.
"Arana is pro material," he said. "He’s a tough defender. He’s like a Jaworski out there."
Black said La Salle’s familiarity with coach Franz Pumaren’s system was a key to the Archers victory.
"This is Franz’ eighth year in the UAAP and he already has five championships," Black went on. "They’re the defending champions. In Ateneo’s case, we’ve been changing coaches. I’m lucky with my chief assistants Jamike (Jarin) and Sandy (Arrespacochaga). I’m looking forward to joining tournaments during the offseason and that will mean more experience for the team and the coaching staff."
As for Tenorio, Black said he’s sure to make it to the pros. "I don’t know if he’ll be a superstar but he’ll definitely play in the PBA," added Black. "If he works hard and improves on his outside shooting, he’ll be fine. He’s quick and that’s a vital asset."
What about La Salle’s timeout with only a few seconds left and the Archers sitting on a 17-point lead?
"No comment," said Black who was reportedly told that assistant coach Jack Santiago signaled the timeout to recall the Archers" stars from the court for the fans to honor them with applause.
A similar incident happened in the quarterfinal game between the US and Spain at the Athens Olympics last year. US coach Larry Brown called a timeout with 23 ticks to go and the US
up by 11. Spanish coach Mario Pesquera thought it unethical and insulting. He waved a finger in Brown’s face as they left the court.
"I don’t understand why he did that," said Pesquera. "I will continue to respect Brown as a coach. He’s up there with the best like Dean Smith who would’ve never done anything like that."
Spanish player Jose Manuel Calderon said, "They were winning by 11. They called it for nothing. The game was finished."