When it comes to the UAAP, the first thing that comes to mind for many Lasallians is the La Salle-Ateneo basketball matchup. The rivalry that knows no age, class, and time will once again be rekindled this Sunday, and despite both teams having their own question marks and storylines, all of these will be thrown out the window once the referee blows his whistle and the ball is up in the air.
Fresh off their win against the UP Fighting Maroons, the DLSU Green Archers are raring to go above the .500 mark with a second win. After relinquishing a close game to UST in their first outing, DLSU put away a UP squad that is still searching for answers after the sudden departure of guard Mikee Reyes. With rookie Jason Perkins providing a steady presence for them with 20 points and 13 rebounds, the Taft-based squad is in the middle of the pack, seemingly good enough for the final four yet still questionable beyond it. A win on Sunday would help give them the confidence they need to not only move forward, but also prove to the rest of the UAAP that they are a force to be reckoned with.
For the Ateneo Blue Eagles, a win against their archrivals would temporarily silence their critics and get them back on track. With main man Kiefer Ravena out indefinitely with an ankle injury, the Blue Eagles have had to rely on Ryan Buenafe, Chris Newsome and Nico Elorde to shoulder the stellar production Ravena brings to the table. Yet, their efforts weren’t enough to overcome the NU Bulldogs who blew them out as well as a rising FEU Tamaraw team that outlasted them in overtime.
With both teams having something to prove, expect this matchup to be much interesting in comparison to the past few La Salle – Ateneo UAAP games that were one sided in favor of the Blue Eagles. The Green Archers, out to prove that the word championship contender is more than just a label to them, will rely on veterans Norbert Torres, Jeron Teng, and Almond Vosotros, who along with Jason Perkins and Thomas Torres, all scored at least 14 points in leading the charge against UP.
With Ateneo already thin in the frontcourt, the Green Archers should expose this with their size advantage, especially in the rebounding department. Through two games, the La Salle has averaged 51.5 rebounds per game, six more than Ateneo’s average. Jason Perkins and Norbert Torres, both averaging double-doubles through two games, should utilize their size against an Ateneo frontcourt, which features just Frank Golla and JP Erram as the traditional big men in the rotation, that will have their hands full on Sunday.
Ryan Buenafe has always had the Green Archers’ number throughout his playing days in the UAAP. Critics always scrutinize his struggles throughout the season, yet that all gets thrown out the window come La Salle-Ateneo. In Kiefer Ravena’s absence, he has been leading the charge for the Blue Eagles, leading them not only in scoring with 19.5 points per game, but also in rebounding with a 10.5 average. Rookie Chris Newsome is also having a decent season so far, averaging 13 points and 8.5 rebounds, so expect him to provide a good matchup for the likes of wingmen Gabby Reyes and Jeron Teng.
Even if La Salle – Ateneo is an affair that Lasallians look forward to every season, luck hasn’t recently been in favor of the Green-and-White side. The Green Archers last had a taste of victory against their arch rivals at the beginning of the decade, which seems like a long time for the Taft-based squad and their supporters. On that fateful day on July 24, 2010, the Green Archers had to rely on former Green Archer Joseph Marata’s two gutsy triples to seal a comeback win for them and solo second at 3-1. From that squad, only Oda Tampus, Luigi Dela Paz, and Almond Vosotros remain. Except for Yutien Andrada who is still recovering from an ACL injury, the rest of that squad has either graduated or left for a number of reasons. Marata, who is currently in UP suiting up for the Fighting Maroons, made a total of 12 points on four three point shots in that game. From that Ateneo team that eventually won the 2010 UAAP championship, only Buenafe, Golla, and guard Juami Tiongson remain.
Both teams may have different faces and new coaches, but the game is still the same. Come Sunday, both teams will not only leave everything on the floor for themselves, but more importantly for the name in front of their jerseys, and the thousands of fans cheering them on.
