ATENEO KEEPS TITLE AS UAAP CHAMPION...

JUST when everyone thought that the ghost of 2006 would haunt Ateneo de Manila University, the defending champions were there to exorcise them.
The Blue Eagles retained their UAAP men’s basketball championship with a convincing 71-58 demolition job of upstart University of the East in the deciding Game 3 at the Araneta Coliseum last October 8, 2009.
A close first quarter turned into a blowout as the Blue and White held UE to just eight points in the second period. Coach Norman Black’s troops unleashed a decisive 12-0 run to hike the advantage to 15 at the end of the first 20 minutes of action.
Despite losing his Most Valuable Player plum this season, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, a member of Season 72’s Mythical Five, silenced his critics with a strong double-double that gave the Red Warrior zone defense fits. He tallied 21 points and 14 rebounds in his last game as a college cager.
The former PCU Baby Dolphin said, “After Sunday’s loss, hindi talaga ako makatulog ng maayos. Actually, today, 6 a.m. na ako nakatulog kasi unexplainable yung feeling na do-or-die yung match, winner-take-all and last collegiate game ko na ito. That blowout loss really haunted me. I stood firm with my goal na hindi ako papayag na uuwi kami nang luhaan. May tiwala ako sa teammates ko. We had one mission that we were able to accomplish. Ang sa akin lang kasi, this is my last year, I don’t want to play with regrets kaya in preparation for this game, after practice, sinasamahan ko ng shooting drills.”
The Red Warriors eventually outscored the Blue Eagles, 17-16 in the third period but it was not enough as Ateneo continued its onslaught and established its biggest lead of 20. The Red Warriors’ missing link was Pari Llagas, who failed to score a basket in 27 minutes of action. A vital cog in Game 2, Llagas, also on his final year, went 0-for-7 from the field. His three points all came from the charity stripe. All in all, the Red Warriors shot just a shade above 30 percent from the field, a far cry from their 51 percent clip the previous game.
Jai Reyes also came up big in his final appearance donning the Blue and White as he canned 16 points and grabbed six boards. Al-Hussaini, who averaged 22.3 points and 11.7 rebounds in the Finals, was named series MVP.
Ateneo coach Norman Black said, “At the end of last season, I knew we’ll be a better team this year. We’ve been always positive. I’m glad the team handled adversity well. We were able to bounce back. Experience is the best teacher. With our 2006 loss in the Finals to UST, I explained to the boys who were a part of that squad that it’s something you never want to feel again, and I told the new boys that it’s a feeling they don’t want to feel. We came back today to win a championship. We didn’t want to throw away our season. We came more focused today.
We mainly dedicated the game to the seniors who will not be playing with us next year. Good thing is that, they were following me for most part. I really thought that from the team that we had last year, this year’s squad will be a better one. We’re losing Rabeh and Jai. Surely those will be big shoes to fill but this will give the younger ones in the team the chance to play.”
The Blue Eagles last won back-to-back titles in 1987 and 1988, and waited 14 long years before clinching another title in 2002 against archrival De La Salle. In 2006, Ateneo blew a 1-0 Finals edge against a surprising University of Sto. Tomas five. Last season saw the Katipunan qunitet clinch its fourth UAAP title at the expense of De La Salle University.
UE, on the other hand, failed to end a 24-year title drought. Rookie head coach Lawrence Chongson said, “We lost to a better team today. Maybe we were just pretenders, and probably they were mentally and emotionally [more] prepared than us. Probably my boys were not ready enough to tackle a big game like this. I knew they were to bounce back but we tried our best to fend them off. It’s still a consolation to get the second place. We’re disappointed of course because we set out to win the championship this season. Siguro hanggang dito lang talaga. As a rookie coach, this team brought me to the finals and I’d have to thank them for that.”
The Ateneo Blue Eaglets, meanwhile, gave Loyola Heights a double celebration as they took Game 3 of the juniors finals against De La Salle Zobel, 61-58. Ael Banal paced the back-to-back champions with 16 points, while Kiefer Ravena was named Finals MVP.
The scores:
Ateneo 71 – Al Hussaini 21, Reyes 16, Buenafe 10, Baclao 8, Salamat 7, Long 7, Salva 2, Monfort 0, Austria 0.
UE 58 – Lee 21, Espiritu 16, Acuña 8, Lingganay 5, Zamar 3, Llagas 3, Flores 2, Reyes 0, Duran 0, Ayala 0.

Smart gilas joins PBA...

MANILA, Philippines – The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas submitted its 18-man lineup for the PBA Philippine Cup, including three collegiate players on Serbian coach Rajko Toroman's wish list.
SBP executive director Noli Eala said Ateneo's Rabeh Al-Hussaini, University of the East's Paul Lee and Cebu's Junmar Fajardo were included in the Smart Gilas roster, although the SBP has yet to reach an agreement with these players.
Japeth Aguilar, the controversial 6-foot-10 center, was also on the Gilas lineup, which is all set to test its mettle against the 10 PBA teams when the Philippine Cup fires off October 11.
Aguilar is under fire from Burger King, the ball club which made the former Western Kentucky University slotman this year's No. 1 overall pick in the PBA Rookie Draft.
”We hope to gain mental toughness, more maturity, competitive games and exposure,'' said Eala.
Gilas, a squad made up of collegiate standouts, thrashed the PBA-backed Powerade Team Pilipinas, 98-69, in a charity game Monday night, gaining the respect of the teams in the professional league.
”Winning will be a bonus. But we'll give all of them a good game,'' said Eala.Coached by Toroman, whom the SBP hired as project director for the national team, Gilas is seeking to grab the lone Asian slot for the 2012 London Olympics through the 2011 Fiba-Asia Championship.
PBA chair and BK team manager Lito Alvarez said he wouldn't allow Aguilar to suit up for Gilas in the PBA should the 22-year-old continue to snub the three-year, P8.7-million offer of the Whoppers.
Counting on the SBP's stand that it will not sign up Aguilar until the player comes to terms with the Whoppers, Alvarez said they would discuss the matter with the federation before the week ends.
Should they fail to reach an accord, Alvarez said he would elevate Aguilar's case to the PBA Board of Governors.
Skipper Chris Tiu, co-captain Mark Barroca and American CJ Giles, the team's candidate for naturalization, will spearhead Gilas along with Dylan Ababou, JVee Casio, Aldrech Ramos, JR Cawaling and Mac Baracael.
Other Gilas players included in the lineup were RJ Jazul, Rey Guevarra, Maggie Sison and Greg Slaughter.
Eala said the SBP would persuade Al-Hussaini, Lee and the 6-foot-9 Fajardo from the University of Cebu, to join the Gilas program in the PBA and eventually the team's long-term preparation for the 2011 Fiba-Asia Championship.

From: GULF DAILY NEWS: Juan Paolo Gozum died

A FORMER Bahrain resident was among the almost 300 people killed in the Ketsana Typhoon, which ripped through the heart of the Philippines capital Manila, it emerged yesterday.
Juan Paolo Gozum, 25, died in Marikina City in Metro Manila during the peak of the storm on September 26, according to his employer, website development company Web Dot Com.
Mr Gozum, who worked as a website developer for the firm, had attended Bahrain's Sacred Heart School in the 1990s before returning to his native Philippines.
Speaking to the GDN, former schoolmates of Mr Gozum said he was fun-loving and energetic.
"He was always fun to be around," said a former peer, who didn't want to be named. "He was energetic and always lively and in the middle of everything."
The company website described Mr Gozum as a dedicated employee and part of the 'Web Dot Com family'.
"He was a dear friend and brother to all of us. He will be missed," it said.
According to information reportedly given to the company by his family, Mr Gozum was most likely trapped inside his house when the flood started rising.
"The currents brought by the flood could have made it impossible for him to escape and go to higher grounds. His body was found under the stairs the next day," said the company.
Web Dot Com has appealed for donations to its specifically established relief fund.
It said 50 per cent of whatever is collected will be donated directly to Mr Gozum's family, while the other half will be used to procure food, water, clothes and medicine for the rest of its staff and other victims of the typhoon.
Manila experienced its worst flooding in 40 years from the Ketsana storm.