For the second year in a row, the Blue Eagles are once again the kings of seniors basketball.
We would like to congratulate the entire Ateneo community for their double back-to-back victories. See you guys next season.
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Blue Eagles get their Back-to-Back
DLSZ Finishes 2nd in Juniors Basketball
Eaglets win back-to-back
By Alder T. Almo of UAAPSports.com
Manila – Kiefer Ravena played the perfect decoy as the Ateneo Blue Eaglets won back-to-back titles after eking out a 61-56 victory against the De La Salle Zobel Junior Archers in the 72nd UAAP Juniors basketball Finals on Thursday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Ravena sealed the win two free throws in the last 4.6 seconds but more than that, it was his savvy playmaking that helped the Eaglets capture their 17th title overall.
Ravena, the 15-year old son of former PBA Rookie of the Year Bong and former volleyball player Mozzy, finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and two steals in a superb all-around game. He averaged 16.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.0 block in the series to capture the Finals MVP plum.
Ravena’s last assist set up Paolo Romero for an easy basket as the Eaglets pulled away in the tightly-fought contest, 59-55, in the final 35.5 seconds. The game saw seven deadlocks and seven lead changes, with the Eaglets capitalizing in the end game.
The Junior Archers, which bled for only two free throws in the final five minutes, could not buy a basket as they helplessly watched the Eaglets escape with the victory.
Romero scored six of his 12 points in the final 3:34 of the game as Ateneo overhauled a 53-54 deficit midway in the fourth quarter.
“Fortunately for us, they could not convert. I knew that with a two-point lead in a game like that, the pressure is really high. So if we’re able to convert and get a two-point lead, we had a chance to win it in the final minute,” Eaglets coach Jamike Jarin said.
“I’m lucky that I am surrounded by great players and coaches,” Jarin added.
This championship is Jarin’s seventh with the Eaglets since taking the reins in 1998.
It was a disappointing end for the top seed Junior Archers, who never find their groove that gave them a 12-2 record in the eliminations.
DLSZ coach Boris Aldeguer cited after their close 57-53 win in Game 2 that the long lay-off has caused them to lose momentum.
“Pagkatapos naming manalo sa Final Four, gigil na gigil na ang mga players ko na maglaro sa Finals. We lose some momentum when the Finals got twice postponed. Hindi pa kami 100%,” Aldeguer said.
It showed in the series as they succumbed to pressure especially in the final five minutes of Game 3 where they failed to score a single field goal.
It was Aldeguer’s first loss in the Finals since assuming the head coaching job in the DLSZ in 2004. The Junior Archers won the 2005 and 2007 championship with him.
The Scores:
ADMU 61 – Banal 16, Romero 12, Pessumal 10, Ravena 9, Sinco 3, Pe 3, Tim Capacio 3, Dumrique 2, Bugarin 2, Reyes 1.
DLSZ 56 – Gwynne Capacio 15, Dela Paz 14, Van Opstal 9, Elorde 8, Herrera 6, Roxas 2, Park 2, Sevilla 0, Fortuna 0.
Quarters: 14-8, 22-22, 42-41, 61-56.
More details to follow.
Junior Archers force Game 3
Jr. Archers stop Ravena, level series
By Alder T. Almo of UAAPSports.com
MANILA — Ateneo coach Jamike Jarin was right when he guaranteed that his ward, Raphael Banal, will explode in Game Two. However, he did not expect that his Game One hero, Kiefer Ravena, will play below par.
With this turn of events, the De La Salle Zobel Junior Archers leveled the series in the 72nd UAAP juniors basketball finals with a 57-53 win over Ateneo at the FilOil Flying V Arena.
Using an unwavering defense against Ravena, who was unstoppable with 33 points last Saturday, the Junior Archers kept the game close and made their move in the endgame.
Junior Archer Nico Elorde contained the bigger Ravena, limiting him this time to just six markers on an atrocious 1-of-18 shooting from the field.
Fil-German center Arnold Van Opstal of De La Salle Zobel (DLSZ) tied the contest at 53-all in the final quarter, and his teammates Raphael Herrera and Gwynne Capacio forced the Eagles into a deciding Game Three by making the marginal points at the stripes.
Banal lived up to Jarin’s expectation with 19 points, but Ravena’s lackluster performance led to Ateneo’s downfall.
Banal, son of former Eagles coach Joel, added 3 boards and 2 assists. He scored only six in Game One.
The Junior Archers were led by Capacio, who was cheered on by his dad, FEU Tamaraws coach Glenn, with 19 points and seven rebounds.
The 6’7” Van Opstal, who is in his last year for the Junior Archers, added 10 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
“I don’t think Kiefer (Ravena) can beat us all by himself. It was always about team defense,” said DLSZ coach Boris Aldeguer.
Elorde, who sacrificed his offense, scoring only nine, underscored his matchup against Ravena in the Junior Archers’ victory.
“Hindi lang ‘to about sa matchup namin ni Kiefer. Basta para sa team, gagawin ko ang lahat,” said Elorde, who is slowly emerging from the shadows of his grandfather, the Philippines’ legendary boxer, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde.
Aldeguer said he looks forward to steering the Junior Archers to their third title since taking over in 2004.
The Junior Archers and the Eaglets will meet for the championship match on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
DLSZ 57 – Gwyne Capacio 19, Van Opstal 10, Elorde 9, Dela Paz 7, Herrera 6, Sevilla 4, Fortuna 2, Roxas 0, Park 0.
ADMU 53 – Banal 19, Bugarin 11, Ravena 6, Pessumal 4, Pe 4, Tim Capacio 4, Reyes 3, Romero 2, Tenorio 0, Sinco 0, Erazo 0, Dumrique 0, Alonte 0.
Quarters: 8-12, 23-32, 41-45, 57-53
UAAP Juniors Finals: DLSZ loses Game 1
Ravena carries Eaglets to Game One victory
By Alder T. Almo of UAAPSports.com
Manila – The defending champion Ateneo Blue Eaglets leaned on Kiefer Ravena to score a big 80-73 win against their bitter rivals De La Salle Zobel Junior Archers in Game One of the 72nd UAAP juniors basketball Finals on Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Arena.
Ravena almost single-handedly carried the Eaglets to victory, pouring in 15 of his game-high 33 points in the crucial payoff period.
Using a stifling defense, Ateneo dropped a 9-0 bomb midway the third canto to pull away from a 43-deadlock. The Junior Archers failed to recover and trailed for the rest of the way.
The Junior Archers cut down an 11-point deficit in a spirited chase in the fourth period but Ravena was there to answer.
The 15-year old son of former PBA Rookie of the Year Bong Ravena scored eight of Ateneo’s final 12 points to finish off the Junior Archers.
The Junior Archers came dangerously close on Nico Elorde’s basket, 73-76, under the final minute. But Ravena made two split free throws while Chuky Dumrique iced the scoring with a fastbreak layup with the time winding down.
“Kiefer (Ravena) could not have done it alone. This is not Kiefer’s team. This is the Ateneo team. His teammates set him up, looked for him to score,” Eaglets coach Jamike Jarin said.
Jarin has guaranteed that it will be Raphael Banal’s time to explode.
Banal, the son of former Blue Eagles’ coach Joel, scored only six points on poor 2-for-9 from the field.
“Better watch out for (Rapahel) Banal in Game two. I guarantee you,” Jarin said.
The game one, however, belonged to Ravena who scored from almost everywhere on the court. He outplayed his smaller but pesky defender Nico Elorde, the grandson of Gabriel “Flash” Elorde.
Aside from scoring 33 points, Ravena also added nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and same number of blocks in an overpowering performance.
Elorde was seen visibly upset after the game.
“Good friend ko si Nico (Elorde). Pero pagdating sa game, iba na. Siya rin ang bantay ko two years ago (when DLSZ won the championship against us). So this is like a revenge win for us,” Ravena said.
Ravena hopes to complete their revenge on the Junior Archers on Tuesday also in the same venue.
The Scores:
ADMU 80 – Ravena 33, Bugarin 10, Sinco 8, Pessumal 8, Dumrique 6, Banal 6, Reyes 5, Pe 4, Unson 0, Tenorio 0, Romero 0, Erazo 0, Daez 0, Tim Capacio 0, Armena 0, Alonte 0.
DSLZ 73 – Elorde 18, Gwyne Capacio 15, Van Opstal 12, Fortuna 12, Dela Paz 12, Sevilla 2, Roxas 2, Park 0, Herrera 0.
Quarters: 23-19, 38-38, 56-49, 80-73.
Junior Archers face Blue Eaglets in Finals
The green-and-white basketball season isn’t over yet.
It’s a green vs blue showdown again this coming weekend. This time though, it will be in the High School division as our top-seeded Junior Archers try to reclaim the crown against the defending champion Blue Eaglets.
This will truly be a battle of champion teams. De La Salle Zobel and Ateneo HS have alternated as champs since 2005. The Eaglets have constantly been a powerhouse in the Juniors over the years. The Junior Archers on the other hand have emerged as a serious contender in the past few seasons.
Leading the charges for DLSZ are seniors Gwyne Capacio (son of FEU coach Glenn Capacio), Nico Elorde (Grandson of boxing legend Flash Elorde), Luigi Dela Paz and Arnold Van Opstal. The team only lost twice in the eliminations to finish on top of the heat at 12-2. They crushed the Baby Tams in the F4 playoff to nail the first finals seat, achieving some payback after FEU knocked them out in last year’s F4 playoff.
The Blue Eaglets are anchored by 3rd year guard Kiefer Ravena. Yes, just him but man, this kid is simply phenomenal ever since he started playing in the High School ranks straight from Grade 7. The son of former PBA player Bong Ravena is surrounded by a stellar supporting cast among them Rafael Banal, the son of former Blue Eagle coach Joel and brother of current Green Archer Gab. Though Ateneo was seeded 3rd in the semis, they overcame the twice-to-beat advantage of the UST Tiger Cub to set up this dream matchup.
The Junior Archers defeated the Blue Eaglets in the championship series in 2007. Will DLSZ nail its third championship in four years of participation or will it be payback time and a back-to-back for Ateneo?
The rivaly here may not be as intense as in the Seniors but this upcoming title series will still definitely by an exciting one to watch. Game 1 will by this Saturday, 4PM at the Fil-Oil Flying-V Arena. Let’s cheer on our Junior Archers. See you there.
Juniors clinch finals berth; other updates
- The top-seeded Junior Archers defeated FEU 86-69 yesterday as they make it to the championship round. It was a sweet payback for the DLSZ after losing to the Baby Tams in last year’s semis despite having the twice-to-beat edge. Forward Gwyne Capacio led La Salle with 32 points along with 17 rebounds. They await the winner of the UST-ADMU series.
- Earlier, our cagebelles fell to Adamson 55-50 in their Final 4 match-up. The Lady Archers end their campaign at 3rd place; a big improvement in recent years.
- Kudos to our Womens and Mens Badminton team for finishing 1st and 2nd respectively.
The Women and Children Aren’t done yet
Photo Courtesy of uaapsports.com (Jerome Trio)
While the Green Archers are already out of the running this season, their counterparts in the Womens and Juniors division are still in the thick of things as both squads earned a slot in the Final 4 which will start this weekend.
The resurgent Lady Archers finished the eliminations at 2nd with an 11-3 mark; tied with the Adamson Lady Falcons. They will slug it out in a virtual best of 3 showdown starting tomorrow at the FEU Gym. League leader FEU will face 4th seed UST in the other match-up. The cagebelles last won the crown in 2002 to cap off a rare four-peat.
De La Salle Zobel dominated the entire season. Despite losing their last assignment, the Junior Archers still lead the pack with a 12-2 slate. They will meet the FEU Baby Tams, the same squad that scored an upset over them a year ago in the semis. DLSZ is slowly becoming a powerhouse in the high school division winning 2 out of the last 3 UAAP tournaments they participated in.
Schedule this week:
Womens
Playoff for 2nd Final 4 seed – Sep 16 2:30PM FEU Gym
Final 4 Game 1 – Sep 19 9:00 AM Fil-Oil Arena
Juniors
Final 4 Game 1 – Sep 19 12:30 PM Fil-Oil Arena
Green Archers Finish Season at 6th
With Adamson winning their last assignment yesterday, the Archers were relegated to 6th place in this season. The last time they placed this low was way back in 1987 when the team was just in their second year playing in the UAAP.
We’re used to the Archers being closer to the top than to the bottom. So what does it feel to see our team (as far as this year is concerned) in the company of traditional cellar-dwellers? Wow! It’s terrible to say the very least. It’s even more frustrating now to be in a position to watch other teams still playing whereas so many times we were always part of the last season game to be played. This is one early vacation that we definitely are not looking forward to.
Everything that transpired this year to our team was definitely not what we are accustomed to seeing. Struggling offense, losing streaks, losing to lowly teams you name it; it had all the ingredients for a very disappointing season.
One might even question if this is the real Green Archers team or just some phonies pretending to be like them. Oh yes they are real! This is no dream. And no matter how many times you rub your eyes thinking if this is some kind of illusion, everything will still be the same. Face it guys, this was just not our year. Just from the preseason alone, we could have already foreseen that this campaign would be tough.
This definitely qualifies as a rebuilding year for the Green Archers. This team is young but full of potential. They could only get better in the coming years. Are we entering the so called “Dark Ages”? I don’t think so. Happy days will soon come again. Our young players, arguably among the best recruits in the collegiate leagues, will achieve their potential with a bit more experience. Hopefully, in nine months, we’ll see the Green Archers emerge from the cocoon that they were in this year, looking and playing like the Green Archers we’ve been used to seeing in the past.
The View from the Armchair: Season 72 Final Edition
Finally, closure for a season like no other in recent memory.
Season 72 for the Green Archers ended with a 61-63 loss to the nothing-to-lose NU Bulldogs. For the first time in a long time, the Archers finished with a losing record, 5-9. Also another first – the Archers failed to reach the playoff stage for the first time since the final 4 format started in the early 90′s.
Why we lost
NU simply wanted it more. They played their usual free wheeling game without pressure, taking long potshots and individual dribble drives past their perimeter defenders. They pressured the Archer ball handlers, and made ball movement difficult around the perimeters.
Injuries hounded the green-and-white in this game. Arvie did not suit up due to injury, and we lost Yutien early in the game to a sprain. A few minutes later, Kish also had to be helped off also after he sprained his ankle, although he managed to return in the second half. Without a credible inside defender, the ‘dogs penetrated at will although their shooting also left much to be desired.
Archers couldn’t hit the target
Another game where our team couldn’t shoot straight for most of the game, both from the field and from the foul line. In the first half, the Archers made less than 1 out of every 4 shots from the field, and missed 13 out of their 20 foul shots. Missed free throws were costly. Joshua missed two in the last minute after successfully fishing fouls from the NU defense.
Ineffective offensive patterns were the offshoot of poor ball movement. Joel had a so-so game, and was not fielded for much of the second half. Without his quickness and smooth ball distribution, the Archer offense became a walk up half court offense, easily predictable and defended even by the weak-guarding Bulldogs. Peejay misfired early, but persisted and scored 17 points on a variety of long shots and drives. Bader saw action, coughed up the ball a couple of times, but scored on gutsy drives and a now rare triple. Ferdinand was fielded in for the first time in a few games, expended a lot of energy but contributed little else. James pulled another one of his now-familiar disappearing acts, contributing a single field goal and very little else. Kish played well but committed a momentum-breaking offensive blunder, taking a hurried jumper from the elbow early in our shot clock after the Archers had taken the lead at 52-51. His miss effectively halted a potential run by the Archers and enabled NU to regain its bearings.
The season in a nutshell
In a way, this last game was representative of the Archers’ season. Poor shooting, weak ball movement and distribution, the walk-the-ball up offense and the absence of fastbreaks, vulnerability to the perimeter drive-and-dish penetrations, lackadaisical effort from some veterans, and the rookies unable to follow anyone’s lead (because no one wanted to take the lead).
Wait till next year!
So the pregnant wait starts (hey, it’s all of 9 months), and in the meantime rumors are sure to swirl about who remains on the team. Only Hyram is ineligible for next year. Of the veterans, James, Ferdinand, Peejay, Bader, and Kish have at least 1 year each, Jovet, Maui, and Joshua have 3 years of eligibility left, Simon has 2, and our rookies all have 4 years to go. Our team B has exciting talents like Norbert Torres (eligible only in Season 74), Papot Paredes, Martin Reyes, Paolo Rodriguez, and Manoj Chandumal on its roster. The Junior Archers have several good seniors who could potentially go to DLSU. Let’s not forget our guys who sat out the season while in sick bay – big man Marko Batricevic who should have fully recovered from his knee injuries, and LA Revilla whose quickness and ball handling were sorely missed this year.
In the meantime
An early vacation for the men’s basketball team. But not necessarily for the loyal green-and-white basketball supporters, since the Junior Archers and Women’s Basketball Team are already into the final 4. Come and cheer our Junior and Women’s teams as they try to reclaim the championships in their respective divisions. Why not help our Pep squad as they compete in the cheerdance competitions on Sunday.
And let’s not forget our athletes who compete in the other UAAP sports. The badminton and beach volleyball competitions are currently under way. Judo, table tennis, swimming, and taekwondo will kick off within the first semester, while baseball, fencing, chess, football, softball, track & field, and volleyball are slated for the 2nd semester.
Our men’s basketball team may have bowed out for the season, but our other teams are sure to figure in the thick of the battle. Let’s show up and cheer them on (except in chess, of course!).
Postgame Bullets: DLSU 61 NU 63
- The worst case scenario happened. The NU Bulldogs slammed the door on the Archers’ playoff hopes with a 61-63 reversal that was as painful as the first non-appearance in the playoffs in the Pumaren coaching era. With this loss, the UST-UE game result became immaterial because UST has the final playoff berth.
- Injury woes told on the Archers. Arvie was a scratch due to illness, and Yutien limped off the court due to a sprain early in the game. He was followed by Kish, and for the remainder of the first half our frontline consisted of Jovet, Maui, Ferdinand, and James.
- The Archers came out curiously flat and seemed to lack intensity, allowing NU to keep pace in a close game and eventually eke out the close win. It was as if the Archers were not convinced they could win, and played conservatively instead of pulling out all the stops and showing the urgency that the situation called for.
- The uncertainty showed in questionable shot selections from the outside, particularly a hurried Kish shot from the elbow with at least 12 seconds left on the shot clock in the second half and the Archers ahead at 52-51, and a James takeoff for a shot which he instead passed back to an NU Bulldog for a turnover. The lack of confidence also resulted in a very low field goal percentage.
- Among the veterans, only Peejay and Bader were able to make any sort of impact. Peejay scored at least 15 points on a variety of jumpers and drives, but went cold midway through the 4th. Bader had a couple of turnovers but made up for them by aggressive defending and driving into the NU defense for layups. He also managed a rare triple. James scored a couple of points, but was unable to make any significant contribution. Ferdinand showed a lot of energy in rebounding, but was ineffective in keeping NU away from the offensive glass.
- A great defensive play unfortunately turned into a basket for NU. With less than 10 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Kish emphatically blocked an NU shot, and the ball went straight to a Bulldog on the perimeter, who sank the last gasp trey as the buzzer sounded to end the quarter.
- In the last minute, the Archers went on a fouling spree to force NU to the stripe. NU obliged by missing at least 3 fts, but these were offset by Joshua’s 2 missed fts and the last NU ft miss where they were able to get the offensive rebound. Poor positioning or inattention? Whatever it was, NU retained possession and was able to kill whatever little there was left on the game clock.
- Free throws helped do the Archers in. In the first half alone, they missed 13 out of 20 attempts. Joshua missed 2 free throws during the crucial closing stretch that could have tied the game.
- The team learned lots of lessons the hard way this season. Hope they can translate all that learning into something positive next season.
- In the meantime, let us support the Lady and Junior Archers as they are still in contention this season. No Matter What, Animo La Salle All the Way!
