I Am Not Going Anywhere….YET!

Ateneo played a gritty game and wanted to take no chances. After a slow start and allowing La Salle to take an early 7 point lead, the Blue Eagles just would not give up and even overtook La Salle in the first quarter. La Salle however came back and ended the quarter ahead by 1 point.

With Norman Black looking for combinations to match up against La Salle’s sticky defense Ateneo could just not find a way to break it. But Ateneo kept La Salle scoreless in the first 3 minutes of the 2nd quarter and took the lead which they managed to keep……wait….what am I doing here?

Forget this politically correct write-up I was going to make. In front of a crowd of more than 23,000 people, La Salle won the game 65-60 and is now in the finals. HOW SWEET IT IS! First it was 2 is better than 1. Now it’s 2 is better than 3.

Coach Franz Pumaren promised a victory and the whole Lasallian community got what we wanted. Pumaren outcoached a befuddled Norman Black, who just could not find a combination to break the patent Franz Pumaren defense. Black was given a lesson on the difference between college and PBA coaching.

There were 2 things La Salle did today that made a difference. The first and foremost was excellent game clock management and second the players executed what the coach instructed.

When the 2 minute mark was called by the barker and La Salle up by 7, the tension on the La Salle side was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

It was the best end game that the Green Archers had played all year. They did not hurry the shot and took the ball to the basket. With less than a minute to go and La Salle up by 5, Ateneo’s Baclao hits a 3 that cut the lead to 2.

The turning point of the game was when La Salle was up by 2, takes a shot and Pocholo Villanueva grabbing the offensive rebound. He brought the ball back to midcourt before running down the clock and then making the 2 pointer from the side. Ateneo couldn’t get a basket on their offense and La Salle would get the defensive rebound.

This is where Black really messed up. Ateneo was not in penalty. When a team is down by 5 with 2 minutes to go, the team behind should be in penalty because it is the only way you can get the ball back. La Salle is known for its foul shooting woes but Black could not take advantage of it. When Ateneo finally committed 3 successive fouls to get into penalty, they fouled OJ Cua, who missed both his shots. But it was too late. Ateneo could not make a shot. They fouled JV Casio and he hit his 2 foul shots.

After his awful last game, Pocholo Villanueva finally showed the leadership and experience that was expected of him. He was the player who managed that game clock in the end game. TY Tang took Villanueva’s cue and masterfully directed the offense.

Also having a great game was PJ Walsham. He did not take bad shots but instead concentrated on rebounds and defending the inside, which is what that bulk and size he has is best put to use. He kept Ford Arao stifled and ineffective.

Bader Malabes, though offensively still a feast or famine player, made up for it on the defensive end by taking Chris Tiu totally out of sync. Tiu just could not break free as Malabes stuck to him like bread on butter.

Two players who also gave quality minutes were OJ Cua and Ferdinand. Cua hit some clutch shots in the early going and stood his ground on defense. Ferdinand, who is becoming my favorite player, is a boy in a man’s body but today he showed that he will be a vital cog in La Salle’s future.

Not to be forgotten are TY Tang, JV Casio and Rico Maeirhofer. Tang, who took the entire 2 rounds of the regular season to finally break out had fire in his eyes today. From the opening toss you could see he wanted this game more than anyone else.

The mild mannered Casio, who has been nursing a injury for the last 3 games, may not have hit most his step back 3s but it was the intangibles that made him so effective. His gutsy drives to the basket and his pesky defense will make Salamat and Escueta have nightmares for days to come.

Rico Maierhofer, who was playing with a severely sprained ankle, fought for the rebounds and made the inside plays when it counted. His presence alone under the basket is enough to intimidate the offense.

Lastly, what can one say about Coach Franz Pumaren? Every time they count him out, he pulls a rabbit out the hat. Everytime he has lemons, he makes great tasting lemonade. This team was counted out. Some were calling for his head. But he just keeps finding a way to make La Salle a consistent powerhouse in the UAAP.

This will be a season that Ateneo can call the “WHAT IF SEASON”. What if they beat FEU in the first round? What if they beat NU in their last game? What if they won one of those close games against UE? What if it would not have been a step ladder but a Final Four? What if they won today? The fact of the matter is that they now have a year to think about their season while La Salle is in the finals.

To many of us proud Lasallians, this is one year that winning the finals will be icing on the cake.

ANIMO LA SALLE!