Nieto brothers cherish playing in 'dream' Ateneo-La Salle showdown

MANILA, Philippines – For the Blue Eagles' Nieto brothers, the dream was to play in an Ateneo-La Salle Finals.

 

And here they are, finally living it.

 

"Nandoon ako nun," Matthew said of his first Ateneo-La Salle finals experience in 2002. "I wanted that to happen in my life, [and] heto na 'yun. 

 

"I really don't want to disappoint  yung dream ko, so I'll try everything [make it worthwhile]," he added.

 

For Mike, the Finals series is a blessing in the form of the ultimate test: As if having to play against the league's best, he also said that he cherishes the moment he is able to lock horns with the two best players in the UAAP. 

 

"I think I'm really blessed that this is given to us," he said. "We're going up against the best team and the best two players in Ben (Mbala) and Jeron (Teng)."

 

The Blue Eagles came up short against the Green Archers on Saturday, falling just a point shy of tying the game at the dying seconds. Many have written off the Ateneo cagers after Kiefer Ravena's exit and their vulnerability that showed early in Season 78 and against the last year's champion Far Eastern University.

 

But they gave it all they've got in that tussle, digging themselves out of a 15-point hole, taking back every moment the De La Salle tried to advance. 

 

In that game, Mike finished with eight markers, two rebounds and a pair of steals. Matthew, on the other hand, wasn't able to contribute that much into the scoring column, but he drilled a midrange shot that gave La Salle the scare with just 39 ticks left in the game.

 

 

Despite the loss, the brothers, whose father donned the Eagles uniform in 1987 and 1988, remain optimistic that they could take after the patricarch's footsteps: Of becoming a UAAP champion.

 

Having stamped their class in the high school arena, the twins are no stranger to playing in the big stage. They were crowned champions in 2015 when the Eaglets beat the NU Bullpups in the juniors side. Come Wednesday, the brothers hope they force a decider to keep that dream alive.

 

"For sure as we're gonna bounce back. Muntikan na e, nakita na namin na nandun na pero nasilat pa. It's part of the learnign process for us," Matt said.

 

"We won’t back down, nabigla lang talaga kami sa atmosphere kasi hindi talaga kami sanay. Lumabas yung lack of experience namin on games like this. But we have no excuses," Mike said.