The defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles are in for their toughest battle of the season.
That’s when the Blue Eagles go all out for the crown in Game 2 of the 82nd University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball finals.
But the Growling Tigers are not expected to go down that easily as they continue their quest for a 19th title when action begins at 4 p.m. today at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Game 1 of the women’s finals between the defending champion National University and the UST Tigresses with start at 12 noon.
“We know we’re in for a really tough game on Wednesday. The one thing we’ve been talking about since we knew UST was our opponent was that teams that Aldin (Ayo) coaches don’t ever quit. They don’t ever back down. While the next game is the second half for us, it’s Game 2 for them,” said Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin.
In Game 1, forward Thirdy Ravena was a big headache to the opposing team when he led with 32 points and went 14 of 18 from the field during the Blue Eagles’ 91-77 toppling of UST.
It was the second highest output for the season, with La Salle’s Jamie Malonzo banging in the highest at 34 points when the Green Archers put away the Adamson Falcons, 89-63, at the end of the eliminations.
While many of UST’s three-pointers were not falling and finding their mark in Game 1, UST coach Aldin Ayo said they have addressed this situation in their preparations.
“Thirty-four percent? Forty shot attempts? Well, that’s our game. We are not going to change that. Kung titignan mo yung Ateneo, if you want to beat them, you have to make those threes,” said Ayo.
The Growling Tigers will be making effort to stop the Blue Eagles’ winning streak, and force a deciding Game 3 on Saturday.
The Blue Eagles are after their third consecutive crown since 2017.
The Blue Eagles won’t just be counting on Ravena in Game 2. They will be asking other teammates like SJ Belangel, Angelo Kouame and the Nieto brothers Matthew and Mike to help out.
Baldwin added that the team’s fitness has been challenged since the Blue Eagles’ game has been fast-paced since the eliminations. Peter Atencio
“I told the team, after we finished the elimination round, that I didn’t think we were fit enough. As it turns out when you play UST, your fitness is gonna be challenged that’s for sure. We might surprise a lot of people. we did a lot of running, a lot of sprints,” said Baldwin.
On the other hand, the team’s inexperience in playing in the finals, should not be a factor for UST’s performance.
“Finals is a different atmosphere. we have to be patient. Whatever it is, you can’t blame the players. Trabaho ng coaching staff to simulate things. Sa abot ng makakaya namin, we are going to do that. Pero yung mga players, they did everything that they could. Hindi lang talaga lumabas yung laro. Sa ganitong situation, coaching yung mananagot diyan,” said Ayo.
The Blue Eagles will do their best to stop one of the team’s talented shooters in Mark Nonoy.
Nonoy, the season’s Rookie of the Year, fired a career-best 26 points on a 7-of-14 shooting from deep, but hardly got any support from the Growling Tigers.
The Blue Eagles are now to finishing with a 16-0 sweep, and that will happen if they hurdle the Growling Tigers.
“We just want to be 1-0 from here. We don’t really care what’s going on in the past. Each of those games was won because we took those games seriously and tried to play our best game in that game. We have one game left. If we win it… And we just want to be 1-0,” said Baldwin.
Winning their 19th title will add to UST’s winning tradition.
It will make them the second-winningest collegiate squad, behind the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, who have won 20 championships since 1938.