Nico Salva gave it his all en route to a 30-point output. (Photo by Ericka Alcantara)

Salva scores career high to steer Eagles in Game 1

Amidst controversies and protestations, defending four-time champion Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles drew first blood in game one of the men’s basketball finals of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, beating the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, 83-78, at the jampacked Mall of Asia Arena today.

Graduating power forward Nico Salva poured in a career-high 30 points while wingmen Ryan Buenafe, Kiefer Ravena, and point guard Juami Tiongson provided the finishing touches to stave off the gritty Tigers at crunchtime.

“I just gave it my all,” Salva, shooting 13-of-23 from the field, commented after the game. “It helped that I have team mates who open the lanes for me and who are willing to share the ball.”

“We had good matchups,” said Ateneo head coach Norman Black, who is coaching in his final UAAP season. “Playing at the post did us a good favor.”

The Tigers though played excellently in the first half, leading the Eagles by as much as 11 in the second quarter courtesy of inside scoring from veterans Aljon Mariano and Jeric Teng, who scored 11 and ten respectively in the first 20 minutes.

The Eagles, on the other hand, went exclusively to Salva, who scored 15 in the first half mainly from pick and roll plays.

However, the Eagles went amok in the third quarter, opening the second half with a 17-0 run with Salva scoring nine points in the quarter to lead the Tigers by twin digits.

The Tigers failed to score in the quarter’s first six minutes as the Eagles played zone to force UST to shoot wayward outside shots.

Ferrer, inserted late in the quarter, scored the Tigers first points of the second half as the second-seeded team trailed Ateneo, 51-61, to close the quarter.

The Tigers though, remaining unfazed, unleashed a 13-2 run to open the final canto as Mariano fired nine points in the quarter off individual plays.

With the Tigers regaining the lead, 64-63 midway in the quarter, the Eagles however found light from Buenafe, who scored eight straight points in the final stretch of the game. His output included a conversion of a Karim Abdul block, which was called a goal tend, and a converted four-point play.

Adding to Buenafe’s heroics is Tiongson’s two straight dribble drives in the final two minute mark to balloon Ateneo’s lead to nine, 81-72, approaching the last minute.

Teng, however, unleashed two straight treys to put the Tigers just a three-point basket behind, 78-81, in the final seconds.

In the ensuing play, Abdul’s foul on Ravena ultimately cost the game for the Tigers leading to the elimination of the beleaguered center due to fouls. Ravena put the icing on the cake with a running jumper with less than 20 seconds left.

Aside from Salva, Ravena helped the Eagles with 13 points while Tiongson and Buenafe added 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Tigers were led by Teng, who topscored with 25 points while Mariano tallied 22 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.

UST coach Pido Jarencio, however, blamed the lost game to what he viewed as “unfair” calls from the referees.

“Hindi naman patas yung tawagan. Sobra naman yun,” he said. “Andun na iyun eh. Tinawagan si Karim [Abdul] ng mga fouls dun eh. Eh tuloy ‘di na nakaporma yung bata. Basta ako vino-voice out ko lang sa inyo. Never in my seven years na nag-co-coach ako sa UAAP na nagvoice out ako against the referees. Kaya lang bakit ganyan?”

Black, meanwhile, attributed the win to their gameplan of attacking the basket. “I told the boys never to be intimidated by Abdul, as he is the only legitimate center of the Tigers,” he said.

Game two is set on October 11 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, where the Eagles will vie for a historic five peat. Preceding the game is the annual basketball awarding ceremonies, where National University stalwart Bobby Ray Parks will receive his second straight most valuable player award.

The scores

Ateneo (83) – Salva 30, Ravena 13, Tiongson 12, Buenafe 10, Chua 9, Slaughter 5, Gonzaga 2, Elorde 2, Sumalinog 0, Golla 0

UST (78) – Teng 25, Mariano 22, Ferrer 13, Abdul 9, Fortuna 4, Lo 3, Pe 2, Bautista 0

Quarter scores: 18-24, 31-38, 61-51, 83-78