Eagles devour Lions, clinch Flying V crown

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo turned what had been hyped as an epic showdown of heavyweights into a virtual mismatch, outgunning the touted San Beda side, 75-56, yesterday to capture the Filoil Flying V Hanes Preseason Premier Cup seniors crown in runaway fashion at The Arena in San Juan.

“This is probably the best game we played the entire summer and we picked the best day to play well – the championship game,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black, who steered the Eagles to their first Filoil championship, completing a grand slam of sorts by concurrently holding the UAAP and Philippine Collegiate Champions League jewels.

Transferee Greg Slaughter knocked down two jumpers sandwiching a dunk while rookie and eventual MVP Kiefer Ravena and veteran Nico Salva took turns in attacking the hoops and Ateneo went off to a sizzling 21-4 start.

It was essentially over from there.

The Katipunan-based cagers maintained leads as high as 19, the first one at 34-15, and when the Red Lions unleashed their fightback in the third period to go within 35-40, Kirk Long, Slaughter and Ravena took charge to quash the uprising.

“I really didn’t know how we’re able to beat San Beda in that manner,” Black said.

The stats sheets had the answer.

Ateneo choked San Beda to a meager 56 points on a woeful 22-of-67 (33 percent) field goal shooting, including 1-of-17 (6 percent) from three-point area. The Eagles also made 48 percent of their total attempts (28 of 58), highlighted by 5-of-13 (38 percent) accuracy from beyond the arc.

“I guess our defense was pretty solid today and our offense also clicked pretty much, we had a pretty high shooting percentage,” said Black.

Playing a third playoff game in three days (the semis and finals of Filoil and the semis of Fr. Martin Cup in between) hardly zapped the Eagles’ energy against the Lions, their consensus rival for college basketball supremacy.

“The other day we had a game in another league. We played horrible in the second half and we lost. I guess the players were saving for today (SBC). Everything clicked; we only went over San Beda’s game before the match and everybody was focused and listening and it showed – they really defended against San Beda’s plays very well,” Black said.

Slaughter led Ateneo’s assault with 14 points, 11 rebounds and a shot block, getting the better of his match-up with SBC’s Nigerian enforcer Ola Adeogun (10 points, 11 boards). Juami Tiongson and Ravena chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively, for Ateneo.

Garvo Lanete (17) and Dave Marcelo (12), who led a 6-0 blast to end the second and another 8-4 run to start the third and put SBC closest at 35-40, showed the way for the NCAA champs. The Lions played without ace American center Sudan Daniel, Anthony Semerad and freshman Baser Amer.

San Beda, though, did not go home empty-handed as its Red Cubs team, led by Arvin Tolentino’s 25-point, and 22-rebound effort, thumped the Phl Under-16 team, 79-70, to bag the juniors plum.

Juniors MVP Francis Abarcar added 20 points for SBC which won all its seven games in the tourney.

In other result, UAAP runner-up Far Eastern U took third place by beating Adamson, 65-57.

MVP Ravena was joined in the seniors division Mythical Five by Mapua’s Yousef Taha, FEU’s Pippo Noundou and RR Garcia, and Lanete.