UP-Ateneo thriller in the offing

A DIADEM decider always promises to be a thriller. I believe the UP-Ateneo title clash today, Friday, is no different. Without a doubt, both squads, each with one win apiece in the best-of-three Finals, will pour out their last ounce of courage to nail the UAAP men’s basketball crown in the 6 p.m. Game 3 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.*

Interestingly, results of the first two games had striking similarities.

The UP Fighting Maroons cracked crucial shots in their overtime win in Game 1 and the Ateneo Blue Eagles took the same route in Game 2, albeit in regulation.

UP forged Game 1’s five-minute extension behind the heroics of Ricci Rivero and James Spencer, precipitating Ateneo’s collapse in overtime that saw the Eagles score only four puny points.

But when the Maroons appeared headed to victory in Game 2 before a delirious crowd that included losing vice presidential bet Kiko Pangilinan, a UP alumnus, they fumbled under the grinding pressure of nailing a first crown in nearly four decades of fruitless campaigning.

Although UP was trailing 65-63 with almost under a minute left, it had golden opportunities to shoot ahead after courageously scuttling a 15-point deficit.

But back-to-back turnovers, triggered by too much dribbling that the Eagles’ swarming defense had perfunctorily pounced on with precision, produced four forceful points, giving Ateneo a decisive 69-63 lead with 48 seconds left.

Although the Maroons managed to clip the lead to 69-66, they ran out of time as the Eagles went on to milk the clock to forge today’s winner-take-all contest.

“The two games we played were so similar,” said Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin, bidding for his fourth straight UAAP crown against a team that last won it in 1986. “They made big plays in the end in Game 1 and tonight, we made big plays in the end. That’s the only difference.”

UP’s endgame mistakes made the difference actually in Game 2.

“Mistakes happen and this was a good learning experience for us,” said UP’s Carl Tamayo, chosen rookie of the year. “Next time, we should be more composed.”

One interesting sidelight today is, Baldwin’s myth of invincibility will be finally tested – by a rookie coach at that in Goldwyn Monteverde, who is steering the Maroons for only the first time.

Pride pricked facing Baldwin?