The Final Score: One Down, One to Go

The UE Red Warriors knew they were coming. They prepared for it. They braced for the impact. In the end, while Ateneo’s Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Jai Reyes repeatedly connected, all UE’s defense could do was watch. Al-Hussaini was probably the most excited Blue Eagle when UE barged into the Finals. The thought of having to wrestle with FEU big men Reil Cervantes (6-foot-5) and Aldrech Ramos (6-foot-6) lingered in Al-Hussaini’s mind. In contrast, UE’s shorter frontline has allowed Al-Hussaini to score close to 29 points per game this season. Thus, when the Red Warriors eliminated the Tamaraws, I could picture Al-Hussaini jumping in delight, giving teammates chest-bumps the whole day. His joy was justified. Al-Hussaini scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in Game 1.

Reyes wasn’t even sure he could play last Thursday. Stuck on the roof while floods swallowed their Riverside Village house in Pasig, he wasn’t sure about anything. He survived, thankfully. So now basketball is just a game for Reyes. And it showed. Unmindful of the rugged defense employed by bigger, bulkier UE guards, Reyes kept his cool and waited for choice openings to hit the three. He opted to take five three pointers in Game 1. He made all of them at opportune times. Reyes, who tallied 17 points, five rebounds and four assists in the series opener, was happy to be back on the court. For Ateneo supporters, the feeling was mutual. UE, however, doesn’t live and die with its defense. That’s Ateneo’s philosophy. UE survives, succeeds with its fun-and-gun offense. I admire the Red Warriors for being unapologetic about it. Hence, they needed twice as much open-court magic to keep Game 1 respectable. Since ace defender Kirk Long made Paul Lee earn every point in the same way a fish-ball vendor earns every peso, guys like Val Acuña (a player who really reminds me of Larry Fonacier), Rudy Lingganay and Raffy Reyes all needed to chip in. Lee, however, fuels their fast-breaking madness. If he produces another 5-of-18 FG effort in Game 2, the Warriors, once winners of eight straight games, may end the season on a two-game losing skid. All throughout the second half, Reyes connected with roundhouse kicks to the head, Al-Hussaini delivered oxygen-depriving 45-degree kicks to the body. While Long danced closely with Lee all day, it was Ryan Buenafe, of all people, who released the knockout defensive punch. On a crucial second half possession for UE, Lee, the league’s hottest one-on-one player, faced Buenafe, one of the league’s weakest one-on-one defenders. Buenafe, who played with Lee on the San Sebastian high school team, knew exactly what Lee had in mind. Once Lee made his cross-over dribble, Buenafe’s right hand poked the ball away and with it UE’s bid to steal Game 1. That was the bullet-kick straight to the abdomen. In the tempered atmosphere of the UAAP Finals, Ateneo recovered from its second quarter siesta to crush UE’s chances in Game 1 and, in all likelihood, the series itself. - GMANews.TV