Will La Salle end it or a new Ateneo appear?

IF Ateneo so desires to avenge its weekend defeat to La Salle, it must start strong and finish like a thoroughbred.

That’s just two of the myriad remedies the Blue Eagles need to execute when they go to Wednesday’s do-or-die against the Green Archers in the UAAP basketball Finals.

Look, Ateneo began like limp Ling Nam noodles in Game 1, scoring four measly points in the first eight minutes on Saturday.

This isn’t charade stuff but a championship chase. You can’t fool around or you are botcha meat before you know it.

Against a star-studded La Salle, whose bench is as deep as Boss Danding’s pocket, any team it battles is mere target range material.

Almost, La Salle played that role to the hilt, blasting from the blocks and quickly erecting a 15-point, 19-4 bulge.

Although Ateneo was able to recover, the effort drained the Eagles a bit. The telling toll manifested in the endgame, when winning time became as elusive as peace in Maute-infested Mindanao.

Matt Nieto missed a free throw to fail a three-point play that would have given Ateneo a 66-64 cushion with ticks remaining.

With Ateneo’s knees a bit softening now, a sagging defense allowed Jeron Teng a killer lay-up for La Salle’s 66-65 lead.

Aaron Black, the left-handed son of the legendary Norman Black, had Ateneo’s potential game-winner when he jumped from the perimeter.

But Teng blocked Black, Aaron’s attempt telegraphed clearly even before it could be unleashed.

Black’s was the sort of shot that characterized collapse in Ateneo’s artillery in a weakened closeout game.

And Teng’s game-winning block was proof once more of the Archers’ fitness to go all-out up to the last drop of blood.

When defense is there amid adversity, victory is forthcoming.

Well, despite the setback, Tab Baldwin coached his Eagles just as well again. The two-point loss was a mighty rebound from Ateneo’s 97-81 defeat La Salle had inflicted in Round 1.

Consider, too, that Ateneo’s 83-71 revenge win in Round 2 was something to crow about as it was La Salle’s lone blot in a 13-1 regular mark.

And so, are we having a winner-takeall Game 3 or a two-game La Salle sweep? By the looks of it, it is hard to call. La Salle’s cliffhanger of a win Saturday should tell it all.