When rivals collide: La Salle-Ateneo Round 2

As they raised their fists into the air after an exhausting practice session, the Green and White signaled that they are ready for another epic showdown with their rivals.

 

Blue and green armadas will once again dominate the Smart Araneta Coliseum this Saturday as archrivals La Salle and Ateneo square off once more in a highly anticipated clash.

 

After snapping their infamous three-game skid with a nail-biting 56-52 win over the Adamson Falcons last August 12, the Archers tighten their Final Four bid and now enjoys a four-game winning streak, capped off by Jeron Teng’s buzzer beater over the UST Growling Tigers last Wednesday for a 53-51 finish.

 

On the other hand, coming of a rugged and ugly 77-64 win over the FEU Tamaraws, the Ateneo Blue Eagles has won its last seven games, solidifying the Katipunan-based team at the number one spot with an almost perfect 8-1 record.

 

Ateneo drew first blood early in the season as the trio of Greg Slaughter, Nico Salva and Kiefer Ravena dropped a combined 52 points and 18 boards, torching the Taft-based squad with a 71-61 win.

 

La Salle last tasted victory over Ateneo way back in July 2010 as Sam Marata caught fire, banging in back-to-back triples in crunch time to pull away with a 66-63 win.

 

With another epic battle set to take place, let us dig deeper into the thoughts of the Archers themselves.

Clobbering the Big Eagle

Time and time again, the towering presence of Greg Slaughter poses a lot of problems for the Archers’ deep frontline, rendering them ineffective with foul trouble.

 

The big man from Visayas bludgeoned the Archers with a game-high performance of 20 points and 7 rebounds, including a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line.

 

Since then, the twin tower duo of Norbert Torres and Arnold Van Opstal had been making big leaps since La Salle ended its three-game skid.

 

Van Opstal posts norms of 7 points and 5 rebounds, unlike in his first five games where he only averaged a measly 2 points and 5 rebounds per contest.

 

The big man from Zobel also points out the challenges in matching up again with Slaughter.

“So, matching up with Greg Slaughter, I think it’s a tough job because he’s so big but I like the matchup because it is challenging. I think I can do it and I’m up to the challenge. I’ll go hard against him and we’ll see what happens,” said a determined Van Opstal.

 

Aside from AVO, Nobert Torres has been very consistent in the middle and is looking forward to redeem himself. The Bear posts efficient contributions with 9 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block per outing, making him one of the stronger inside threats in the league.

 

“I’m really excited to go up against him again, me and coach [Abanilla] have been talking and we’ve made some adjustments on how to try and attack Slaughter again,” shared Torres.

 

Expect the Green bigs to challenge Slaughter and hurdle him away from the paint to lead him out of his comfort zones.

 

The Teng factor

Over the last three games, rookie Jeron Teng averaged an impressive 20 points and 6 boards including his career-high 35 points against the National University Bulldogs.

 

Aside from being a statistical wonder, the ace player from Xavier School brings uncanny leadership, motivation, and plays all-heart whenever he steps into hard court and is very eager to savor his first win over La Salle’s rivals.

 

“I’ve never experienced beating Ateneo in the UAAP kasi yung sa first round we lost. I’m looking forward to that,” shared Teng.

 

Look for this kid to bounce back and bring an all-out game with his daring drives, cross-cut passes and his amazing shooting touch.

 

Filling in the void

With LA Revilla not a hundred percent recovered with his sprained ankle, Thomas Torres and Almond Vosotros have filled in nicely the void left by the team captain.

 

Thomas is a pesky defender and can score in bunches, especially during crunch time, while Almond is a combo guard who makes a living with the three-point shot and some timely drives.

 

“Feeling ko kasi ilang games na ‘yung winning streak namin so sana madala namin yung confidence namin at saka ‘yung momentum sa Saturday,” said Torres.

 

The Main Man’s thoughts

Jun Limpot was the man responsible for La Salle’s first UAAP Men’s Basketball trophies, achieving back-to-back titles from 1989-1990.

 

The Main Man, as he is fondly called, is a towering presence during his stint with the Archers.

 

Limpot now shares his thoughts on being a player and an assistant coach for the team.

 

“Siyempre parehong masaya kasi nandoon ka pa rin sa isang venue na makikita mo yung La Salle-Ateneo rivalry. Sa lahat ng mga laro ko walang katulad yung spirit at intensity ng La Salle-Ateneo game. Naglaro ako sa national team, PBA, PBL, iba yung liga na yan,” said a smiling Limpot.

 

The Main Man, being one of the Eagle slayers during his heyday, also credits the current La Salle bigs for their great work ethic and prepares them in matching up against Slaughter.

 

“It’s very challenging to the big men kasi talagang malaki si Slaughter, talagang mas malaki sa atin at the same time beterano na ring maglaro,” adds Limpot.

 

The 6’6 Limpot emphasizes that motivation is key whenever the team faces Ateneo because it takes more than skill to win over them, but rather a big heart and fighting spirit.

 

“Basta kalaban mo Ateneo, more than a game na ‘yan. Motivation-wise, hindi na kailangan kasi sila [players] na mismo at ‘yung crowd ang magsasabi kasi yung crowd mismo nakakamotivate,” concludes the legendary big man.