UAAP: Slaughter stars, as Ateneo nips La Salle

(Updated 10:45pm) Despite their opponents boasting of some new additions to their guys on and off the court, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles were still able to outsoar the arrows of their rivals, the De La Salle University Green Archers, notching a 71-61 victory, the reigning champions’ second straight, in the 75th season of the UAAP, Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. "When you play La Salle there are no guarantees, it's always going to be tough," said Ateneo head coach Norman Black. "There's so much school spirit in the building and it doesn't matter who has more talent." With a new coach, former assistant Gee Abanilla, at the helm, and blue chip recruit Jeron Teng in the starting five, the Archer faithful thought it to be a good omen when Norbert Torres struck first for La Salle with a jumper from the right block. Ateneo held their own on the offensive end though, as scores at the rim by the tandem of Nico Salva and Kiefer Ravena contributed to a 10-3 burst for the Eagles that made the score 10-5. The Archers would not make another basket from the field in the quarter's last seven minutes, shut down by strong interior defense by Ateneo, though Yutien Andrada and Jarelan Tampus, did put together three free throws. In contrast, the Eagles simply ran La Salle off the court, led by Ravena's eight markers in the quarter, to a 20-8 advantage after the first period. In the second quarter, Justin Chua and Von Pessumal made a 6-2 stand for Ateneo to give them their biggest lead, 26-10, with three minutes gone by in the period. LA Revilla countered with a basket off a screen, then a lay-up on the break. Greg Slaughter scored in the lane on the other end for Ateneo, but La Salle pressed on as Luigi dela Paz nailed four straight from the line, followed up by an and-one from Revilla that made it 28-21. An athletic move to the rim by Ravena gave Ateneo some reprieve, but Revilla wasn't finished yet, canning a three-ball from the right baseline to bring La Salle closer, 30-24. Again though, Ateneo would have the final say as they held La Salle to just one basket, an undergoal stab by Arnold Van Opstal, in the final three minutes and change in the half. On the other end, the Eagles capped a 7-2 run with an improbable layup by Slaughter at the buzzer to stay ahead, 35-26. When play resumed, Salva blew by Norbert Torres to put Ateneo back up by double digits, but Torres and Jeron Teng attacked the basket on the other end, rattling off seven unanswered for the Archers, 37-33. Juami Tiongson split his charities     on the next play to interrupt La Salle's run, and then Slaughter scored Ateneo's next six points, but Ateneo had no answer for the Archer's perimeter players. Teng and Revilla fired the Archers' next nine, and knotted the score, 42-all, on a trey from Teng with three and a half minutes to play in the third. However, La Salle’s grasp on the lead was shaky. After trading baskets with the Archers, Ravena scored four of Ateneo's last nine to keep a 53-51 advantage after three quarters. Then at the dawn of the payoff period, Salva and Slaughter had four apiece in the shaded area for a 9-3 run to put the Blue and White up 62-53. With three and a half minutes to go, a lay-up by Torres ended a four minute dry spell for the Archers. Slaughter made two from the charity stripe to offset a cutting move by Teng on the earlier possession, but Jed Manguera countered from downtown to bring La Salle within four, 64-60. With the game going down the wire, La Salle’s penalty situation meant that the Eagles would be shooting plenty of charities. Nico Salva was the first one up and the Finals MVP from last season made a pair, 66-60. Rookie sensation Teng was up next for La Salle, but he managed just a split. The Archers got a stop on the next play, but Revilla's attempt from downtown rimmed out. Teng tried to save the ball, only to turn it over. Juami Tiongson was fouled on the transition play and split at the line, 67-61 with forty four ticks left in the game. The Archers called a timeout but were called on an inbounds violation on the next possession. With the game in hand, Ravena and Salva scored four more for the final tally, as the duo, plus Slaughter, wound up scoring 23 of their 24 fourth quarter points. "They mixed it up a lot today," said coach Black on how La Salle tried to defend Greg Slaughter. "We just kept pounding it down to him, and some of their bigs got into foul trouble, so that helped us out." Ateneo attempted 34 shots from the line versus 20 from La Salle, and made 25 against the Archers' 15. The Eagles also edged their opponents on fast break points (12-7), but La Salle led them in second chance points (15-10). "The defense has to focus on Nico [Salva] and Greg [Slaughter], and that's the great thing about our team," said last season's Rookie of the Year Kiefer Ravena. "They score well in the paint so that frees us up a bit on the perimeter." Greg Slaughter led the Eagles with 20 points and seven rebounds. Nico Salva and Kiefer Ravena added 16 markers apiece and totaled 11 boards for the five-peat gunning Blue Eagles. True to form, Ateneo's “Big Three” combined for 52 of the team's 71 points. Revilla top-scored for La Salle with 16 points, five rebounds and seven assists. Teng had 13 points and eight rebounds on 4-for-10 shooting, while Torres was limited to 11 points and five rebounds on a 5-for-13 clip from the field. Ateneo moved up in the standings to 3-1, behind just undefeated FEU, while DLSU leveled to .500 at 2-2. The Eagles next face UP on Thursday, while the Archers tangle with UST on Saturday, the same day Ateneo matches up againt UE. - AMD, GMA News The scores: ADMU 71: Slaughter 20, Salva 16, Ravena 16, Chua 6, Tiongson 4, Elorde 3, Buenafe 3, Pessumal 2, Erram 1, Sumalinog 0, Gonzaga 0 DLSU 61: Revilla 16, Teng 13, N Torres 11, Dela Paz 7, Manguera 6, Van Opstal 2, Andrada 2, Webb 2, Mendoza 1, Tampus 1, Paredes 0, Vosotros 0, T Torres 0, Gotladera 0, Tallo 0 Quarter scores: 20-8, 35-26, 53-50, 71-61