THREE-POINT PLAY: Ateneo 76, UP 70

clipped wings, no problem (photo source)

three points on the blue eagles' victory against the fighting maroons in the so-called "battle of katipunan" during the first round of uaap season 75.

the big fella in big trouble (photo source) 

1. no more walks-in-the-park. the first half of the game can be aptly described as scary. greg slaughter was triple teamed and hacked inside (breaking down that triple team - a big man defends with two outstretched arms, a guard tries to grab the ball from below, and a forward waits at the side to swipe the ball too), juami tiongson was not available due to a twisted ankle, and mid-range shots from kick-outs often rimmed out. for someone who watched the last time up defeated ateneo (season 72, at ultra, and up was wearing their alternate black jerseys then), that part of the game would surely scare the hell out of the ateneo faithful. at 0-3, up played like they had nothing to lose and everything to gain as their players hustled more and showed a greater sense of urgency. but that was until midway through the third quarter when the blue eagles found their groove. it was nico salva's consistency that once again lifted the team in dire straits. after that defeat to ust, every game, even against lower tier teams, is no longer a walk in the park. coach norman black was right in saying that every team is out to give their best when they are against ateneo because they are playing against ateneo. this is just the first round, and with nine more games to play in the elimination round, the field just gets tougher than expected.

"flash" foward (photo source)

2. x-factor #1 - nico elorde. credit goes to nico elorde, who filled in the shoes of juami tiongson this game. tiongson has played beyond expectations this season, showing maturity in decision-making, steadiness in ball-handling, and precision in passing. with ateneo's starting guard out, elorde took the task of handling and distributing the ball on offense and defending up's trigger-happy guards on defense. despite "just" contributing 2 points and 4 assists (the only bummer in his stat line was his 3 turnovers), his contribution this game goes beyond statistical data. he has surely found his niche in the blue eagles' rotation, though his offense can still be improved as the season progresses.

boom goes the dynamite (photo source) 

3. x-factor #2 - oping sumalinog. the swingman from cebu might have lost his place in the starting line-up, but he showed in this game why he is a valuable piece to the ateneo defense. his entry into the game proved to be the turning point for the blue eagles' comeback against the scrappy maroon five. in 14 minutes of action, he scattered 10 points (2-3 from 3 point area, one of which gave ateneo its first taste of the lead in a long time during the game), grabbed 5 rebounds, and made a steal. that corner pocket three comes handy for him, especially with most players opting to double team the other ateneo players on court. as mentioned in my blue eagles' preview for season 75, sumalinog will be a defensive gem for the blue eagles especially in guarding big guards. this game will hopefully be his first of many solid performances for him in both the offensive and defensive sides of the game. 

The scores:

ADMU 76 - Salva 21, Slaughter 13, Ravena 11, Sumalinog 10, Chua 7, Gonzaga 5, Buenafe 5, Erram 2, Elorde 2, Pessumal 0, Capacio 0

UP 70 - Lopez 13, Ball 11, Padilla 11, Gamboa 10, Soyud 6, Montecastro 6, Asilum 6, Romero 2, Mbah 0, Manuel 0, Hipolito 0, Gallarza 0

Quarter scores: 17-19, 32-40, 61-57, 76-70

photos from sir philip sison of fabilioh.com