By the Numbers Finals Game 1

The streets were painted blue and white last Saturday as Ateneo de Manila University slaughtered Far Eastern University (FEU) in Game 1 of the Finals. What was expected to be a see-saw battle turned into a one-sided affair as the Blue Eagles made slim pickings of the Tamaraws. The two-time defending champions set the tone early on with stifling defense and a stirring fastbreak attack, stunning the top-seeded FEU. Except for three-pointers made, Ateneo won every single category, enabling the team to draw first blood in the best-of-three series.

5

The number of blocks made by Ateneo’s rookie center J.P. Erram. In just one game, the 6’7” beanpole from Xavier University in Cagayan De Oro already surpassed his season total of two rejections. The third-string slotman immediately made his presence felt on the defensive end when he was inserted late in the first quarter as he set off a fiery Blue Eagles run that broke the game wide open. He also added four points and three rebounds in his timely breakout party after only playing eight games in the elimination round.

15-0

The final fastbreak points tally with Ateneo dominating the transition tussle. The Blue Eagles flew past the FEU defense at every opportunity as they scored heavily on the break. The reigning back-to-back champions topped the league in transition points in the eliminations with 10.5 a game. Head coach Norman Black has reiterated all season long that he wants his team to run and that’s exactly what his wards did. They also played well on the opposite end as they prevented the Tamaraws from scoring a single point in transition.

18

The number of assists recorded by Ateneo. The Katipunan quintet displayed terrific team play all game long as they unselfishly passed the ball in half-court sets and transitions. The Blue Eagles led the league in ball-sharing during the elimination round with a 17.2 average. FEU, ranked second with 16.2 APG, finished with only nine deliveries in the game. Senior guard Eric Salamat, the third best assist man in the UAAP, topped the team with six dishes, followed by Emman Monfort and Ryan Buenafe, who had four apiece.

32

The number of bench points scored by Ateneo. Confidence oozed all over the Blue Eagles bench after they erected a huge lead early in the first quarter. Suddenly, the jitters disappeared and were replaced by composure. The Blue shock troopers were led by Nico Salva with 10 points, followed by Salamat and Bacon Austria, who both had eight. The intensity never wavered for the Blue and White throughout the game even with the entry of the non-starters. Same couldn’t be said for the FEU relievers, who only put up 12 markers.

49

The number of points scored by FEU—the team’s lowest output so far this season. The Ateneo defense completely shackled the offense of the Tamaraws, the league’s top scoring team with 75.5 PPG, from the first to the final buzzer. The Morayta boys shot a ghastly 27.0% (17-of-63) from the field as they settled for outside shots and forced attempts. Main man R.R. Garcia, who led the league in scoring in the eliminations with 16.1 PPG, struggled for 11 points, while veteran Reil Cervantes failed to score a single field goal.

Paolo Mariano, UAAP Home