sorry, boy. not today (photo source)
originally, i was about to release a "first 5" column on the keys to the game between ateneo and adamson. however, i was not able to finish it. so i'm using the same column to assess the game awhile ago.
by this time, it should already be everywhere: from facebook, to twitter, the blogosphere, online forums, and tomorrow in the broadsheets. the adamson falcons' "one biggest fight" was a successful one, stopping the sweep-seeking ateneo blue eagles, 62-46 in a game that broke and re-wrote history itself. the victory broke a 29-game winning streak of the eagles over the falcons as well as the 13 straight wins of ateneo this uaap season. in front of a hostile adamson crowd in white, the blue eagles were just outplayed, outhustled, and outshot. there are no excuses for the loss but lessons to be learned and cherished as the elimination round comes to a close and the postseason in sight.
"even the best falls down sometimes." perhaps instead of making a blow-by-blow analysis of how ateneo lost, it would be better to look at how the blue eagles can live with it use this defeat to make them better. here are five things that the team can look into in preparation for the games that truly matter the most.
1. somehow, somewhere, some way, the streak is bound to be broken. winning 29 consecutive wins through the years and 13 straight victories this season are feats in themselves. however, some good things have to come to an end, in one way or another. that i think is the beauty of basketball: one will never know what will happen until the final buzzer sounds. in filipino, bilog ang bola. it may be a bitter pill to swallow today, but having this streak broken keeps people's feet on the ground, makes them look into the bigger picture and hopefully leads towards an acceptance of learning from experiences - whether it is from a win or a loss.
2. when you wake up at the wrong side of the bed, what are you going to do? life is not always filled with rainbows and butterflies. as i mentioned in a previous post, there will be days when nothing falls down to the bottom of the net, when fast feet become flat, and when somebody else is better than you. reality bites and it's sting is deadly, but that shouldn't stop one from rising up after every knockdown. it may demand the team to return to the drawing board, but nothing is lost. the first seed and the twice-to-beat advantage are still in the bag. loses like these should serve as a motivation to keep fighting and playing like there's no tomorrow.
3. discipline is always the key to victory. one thing i was impressed with the blue eagles was their composure despite adamson making the hole bigger and deeper for them to climb. they tried going back on track using their offensive sets, but nothing was just falling. for this, i tip my hat to the team for sticking with the game plan instead of being reckless down the stretch. on a good day, they would have surely found their shots down the stretch, but the basket was just the size of a coffee cup. surprisingly, we had a glimpse of a trap that the blue eagles did not really use that much through the years, and it almost paid dividends if the ball found its way to the bottom of the net. nonetheless, the discipline they showed through adversity is something that basketball teams - both varsity and professional - should learn and emulate.
4. wake-up, sixth man. some people from the blue eagles' sixth man must have eaten their words after the defeat, in obvious relation to adamson's "one biggest fight" event in facebook. we were outnumbered, and let's face it, we were also outgunned. thoughts of the jeje-wave curse came into mind but looks like the gallery in white celebrating their imminent victory was inevitable. perhaps even the players were overwhelmed by the white balloons and innumerable placards from the upper a, b, and general admission sides of the coliseum. to our credit, we put up our own stand, but the other side of the araneta was too much to handle. this should serve as a wake-up call to the ateneo faithful, fair-weathered fans and die-hards alike. the team obviously feeds from our cheers and we don't need a facebook event to rally the blue eagles' sixth man. let's continue to rally behind the team, especially with the final four coming up in a week's time.
photo courtesy of kenneth gan
5. in the end, no yabang. i myself am guilty of predicting a 14-0 slate a few hours before the game. even the night before, i predicted that it will be an "F-U" game for ateneo with a 12+ point winning margin over adamson. i was proven wrong and so were most of the people in the blue side. i remember the same scenario at the beginning of the year as the xavier school stallions, who just swept the elimination round in the tiong lian tournament, found their backs against the wall after falling to hope christian school in the first game of the best-of-three championship. in a scenario were finger-pointing and blaming would normally prevail, the alumni and supporters of the team made this interesting poster-statement: LET US FIGHT BACK TOGETHER. the road to the fourth championship is surely bumpy, and one man can't and won't do it alone. it takes a team to win: a team that recognizes that victory is better tasted than smelled from afar. no premature celebrations and talks of the "annual bonfire" just yet. every game from this moment on will have to be deserved and earned through hardwork, dedication, and humility. again, no yabang until the fourth championship trophy is raised from the hardwood of araneta.
besides, our goal is not 14-0, but a fourth straight championship.
the target is set.
to end, our friend friedrich nietzche can give us something to think for tonight: "Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker." what won't kill you will only make you stronger.
WIN OR LOSE, IT'S THE SCHOOL WE CHOOSE!
ONE BIG FIGHT!
BLUE EAGLE, THE KING!
The scores:
Adamson 62 – Nuyles 21, Alvarez 14, Camson 6, Manyara 4, Brondial 4, Lozada 4, Colina 4, Etrone 3, Cañada 2, Cabrera 0
Ateneo 46 – Slaughter 10, Ravena 9, Long 9, Gonzaga 7, Salva 5, Monfort 4, Chua 2, Tiongson 0, Golla 0, Austria 0
Quarter scoring: 14-8, 27-24, 50-31, 62-46
credits to inboundpass and adrian dy (chinoy hoops fan) for the stats
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