http://www.adlsu.com/2011/12/22/ateneo-vs-...m-game-in-2012/

this link was posted in my FB account. thought i'd share.

9 out of the 12 blue eagles are from the 2002 champion team

6 out of the 12 green archers are from 2002 runner up team

coach- advantage Ateneo
front line- advantage Ateneo
back court - advantage DLRT

OBF!!

This is gonna be good!. Blue Eagles by 8!!!!

At the annual homecoming last December, there were green jackets on the stage .... singing against their blue-jacketed counterparts in a musical. People are making money off the rivalry.

But the Ateneo are reigning four-peat champions .... beating La Salle, UE, FEU (twice) .... so the other half of the rivalry is not exactly holding up their end of the bargain.

As the NBA commenced (finally!) Kobe Bryant was asked whether the newly-reinforced LA Clippers were going to be looming rivals to his Lakers. "It's not a rivalry," Kobe Bryant said. "We beat them every year. Oh my God. I don't care if they beat us tonight." (Although the Clippers did beat the Lakers in a pre-season game.) But does anybody out there figure that the Clippers and Lakers will really contend in the Western finals? In the same manner, Green-with-envy did not even make it to the big dance, much less the final four.

I perused the line-ups .....

De La Salle Green Archers:
1. Mike Cortez (Ginebra)
2. Willie Wilson (Ginebra)
3. Renren Ritualo (Shopinas.com)
4. Joseph Yeo (Petron)
5. TY Tang (Rain or Shine)
6. Carlo Sharma (Petron)
7. JV Casio (Powerade)
8. Ryan Arana (Rain or Shine)
9. Don Allado (Barako Bull)
10. Mac Cardona (Meralco)
11. Brian Ilad (Shopinas.com)
12. Rico Maierhoffer (Ginebra)
13. Jerwin Gaco (B-Meg)
Coach: Franz Pumaren

Ateneo Blue Eagles:
1. Rabeh Al-Hussaini (Petron)
2. Noy Baclao (Petron)
3. JC Intal (Ginebra)
4. Rico Villanueva (Ginebra)
5. Doug Kramer (Powerade)
6. LA Tenorio (Alaska)
7. Eric Salamat (Alaska)
8. Japeth Aguilar (Talk N’ Text)
9. Wesley Gonzales (Alaska)
10. Larry Fonacier (Talk N’ Text)
11. Rich Alvarez (Talk N’ Text)
12. Magnum Memberere (Talk N’ Text)
Coach: Norman Black

Brian Ilad really, really made it to the pros. Will wonders never cease? However, Ogie Menor has taken over his traditional role. Will he do a hit-and-run again?

Of the Greenies listed above, someone please correct me, has anyone ever seen Cortez or Wilson watching a Lasal game? I wonder why.

This exhibition game will be very important to one person who, I guess, is clutching at straws. If he wins, he will trumpet it as a moral victory to shore up his dubious standing. After a long while, it will be good to taste a win .... but I hope Coach Norman deprives him again.

Forgiveness is in the confessional; sweet revenge belongs in the basketball court.

La Salle 117 – Allado 23, Cardona 20, Casio 13, Sharma 12, Arana 9, Maierhofer 9, Yeo 9, Ritualo 8, Cortez 8, Aquino 3, Gaco 3.

Ateneo 104 – Tenorio 20, Villanueva 19, Aguilar 16, Fonacier 14, Intal 13, Kramer 7, Salamat 4, Baclao 4, Membrere 3, Alvarez 2, Bugia 2.

Quarterscores: 34-20, 61-48, 94-75, 117-104

*******

At last, they finally have a game DVD that they can show in their homecomings. There are rumors that they might stage a bonfire ….

Larry Fonacier was relieved; he really didn’t have space in his cabinet for still another trophy.

When a rival is this thoroughly beaten, the defeated party normally resorts to changing the topic: “Padamihan na lang tayo ng diploma.”

“Win or lose, it’s the school we choose” has assumed added significance after this game …… and the PCCL. These help to keep us grounded as to what the priorities are; we have to be reminded that the Ateneo is not a basketball academy but an academic institution.

The Ateneo was whupped so good that it needs Attys. Karen Gimeno and Tranquil Salvador to spin an alternative story-line. After all, did the crowd feature the usual basketball fanatics like Renato Corona …. or Erap and Jinggoy Estrada …. or yours truly? It was a solid number that watched at the Big Dome ….. but a sell-out, SRO it was not. Buti na lang, it was not a full house that witnessed the massacre. Even the spaghetti strap of Jessica Mendoza could not make us forget her beau Aaron Atayde. There’s happy consolation though …. Bangs Garcia was cheering for the Blue (go ahead, google her pics.)

The hallmark of Coach Norman’s teams is its defense. So if Lasal scores 117, something’s awry. Seriously, I felt that Coach Norman was not properly managing his wards. The strength of this team is its height and its front-line that should theoretically control the paint. That would mean that the Ateneo should dictate a slow tempo, play a deliberate game …… specially considering that we only had a limited number of point-guards. But the pace of the game was totally to the liking of the Archers which had a plethora of guards – they’re not called “security agency” for nothing – so much so that Ty Tang was not even used.

The shot selection of the alumni eagles was terrible …. what’s Japeth Aguilar doing, hoisting a three-point attempt? Who does he think he is …. Chris Bosh? Inspite of our tall line-up, the Archers collared offensive rebounds under our very noses and they were quick to the loose balls. I thought that it was Lasal who was terrible at the free-throw line? This batch of Eagles was certainly infected with the Taft bug.

Let’s admit it gentlemen, they wanted this more, they needed this more. If Lolo Allado can effectively battle inside with the relatively young Ateneans, and do a Tebow …. if Renren Ritualo can hit his treys like the good ol’ days …. if Carlo Sharma has numerous opportunities to taunt the blue like back to the future …. the Greenies deserved the victory.

On our side, Rico Villanueva again played like a lion-heart and Fonacier again exemplified “desire” ….. but sans the perimeter shooting. I noted that the game of idols Rich Alvarez and Nownow Baclao remain uni-dimensional like in their college days. And as I said, Coach Norman was out-coached in this one, in my view. (To be down by 25 points ....)

This was the moral victory the rival community needed. It’s good to finally taste a “W” after a long drought … like a man wandering in the desert finally getting a sip of water. But those in Taft will have to ask: is this all a mirage? Will this be a portent of things to come in season 75?

This dream game is for them; the real games are ours.

At the end of the day, the Ateneo community has to be very grateful ……. for the palpable absence of The Green Mind who would otherwise be bragging by now to the high heavens.

One thing’s for sure. Bigote seems to have discovered a possible antidote to his losing streak …. Gilette super-stainless.

I got lucky to receive last-minute patron tickets to the game. The drawback is that I was seated at the green side, behind the DLSU bench. =p

The green side was just lucky in offense and we had a bad shooting day, particularly Rico. Even Willy Wilson and Cardona was asking Rico how come his shots were not falling in. And the Ateneo players were all tentative and lethargic...imagine Arana out rebounding Bugia, Rich and Japeth!

We also had less players than the green side, our rotation was limited.

DLSU played a fast-paced game, something big men couldn't keep up with. It may have been different if Rabeh played, but healing an ACL is more important than playing a charity game, I guess.

Oh well, pagbigyan si Bigote. He hasn't won a game in the last 6 months or so, it's about time he wins one.

To me, what's important is winning against DLSU in the UAAP.