Isaac Go, Eagles foil Archers' comeback try to regain UAAP supremacy

MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo de Manila University insisted all season long that a domination of the tournament’s elimination phase was not their goal — that a championship was all that mattered. De La Salle had other plans, taking their rivalry into a do-or-die cagefest Sunday night. 

But after 40 minutes of a break-neck pace, basket-after-basket, emotional and equally physical rivalry basketball in front of 22,012 at the Big Dome, it was the Blue Eagles who emerged victorious, avenging last year’s Finals sweep and again reigning supreme in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament, 88-86.

Drawing production from almost every able-bodied cager of its roster, the Green Archers dug themselves out of a seven-point deficit in the third period. They went on to keep their storied rivals within striking range —tying, taking over, tying and then wresting the lead.

But in the fourth period, Matt Nieto and Anton Asistio were just too much for the reigning champions. The pair knocked down successive triples to give Ateneo a 74-68 edge halfway the final frame. 

Thirdy Ravena — whose game could easily be eclipsed by his crew’s collective, cohesive work on the floor — led the team in scoring. Co-skipper Vince Tolentino dealt the additional gut punches.

Isaac Go, who had his picturesque moments in the playoffs, had a Kodak moment when he drilled a triple with 24.7 ticks on the clock. The pass? Orchestrated by Ravena.

"Honestly, I thought about a couple of things. One was, when I released, Kib flew by. So I thought, maybe I should have dribbled it, should have shot-faked, but I think that's bad," Go said of his crucial basket.

"Coach Tab (Baldwin) said you shouldn't think of anything when you shoot. So when I released the ball, I just let it fly," he added.

Two-time Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala and sophomore Ricci Rivero kept the Archers afloat. Aljun Melecio sank a clutch trey to add to the effort. But saddled by fouls and cold spell, respectively, they weren’t able to narrow the gap as the game wound down.

De La Salle was the only school to beat them in the tournament. Ateneo scripted a counter-punch where it mattered, when it mattered. 

"These boys worked a long time, you know, to get here. I told them, ‘We didn’t reach a peak, we reached a plateau, because there has to be room for the whole team.’ We didn’t do it as individuals, we did it as a team," Baldwin said of his team's feat.

"[N]obody stands at the peak alone. They stand there as a team, and they’re standing proud of what they’ve accomplished and they’re standing proud as Ateneans. And I’m very, very proud to be a part of that," he added.

The championship lifts the Eagles to their ninth in the UAAP. The Ateneans, who were pegged as too young in last year’s affair, completed a revenge tour that featured going 15-2 in the whole season, with the two blemishes coming from the Green Archers.

The Scores:

ATENEO 88 — Ravena 17, Ma. Nieto 14, Ikeh 12, Asistio 11, Tolentino 9, Go 7, Verano 6, Mendoza 5, Black 4, Mamuyac 3, Mi. Nieto 0.

LA SALLE 86 — Mbala 19, Melecio 16, R. Rivero 14, Caracut 13, Santillan 11, Tratter 4, Go 3, Montalbo 3, P. Rivero 2, Tero 1, Baltazar 0.

Quarters: 24-14, 45-38, 66-66, 88-86.