At the Half- Ateneo Vs UE (September 14, 2008)

by Migs

At the half, the Ateneo Blue Eagles have built an 11 point pillar between them and the UE Red Warriors, 32-21. Jai Reyes leads the Ateneo Blue Eagles with 10 points on 4-5 shooting, while supersub Eric Salamat has scoring 9 on a number of daredevil penetrations. After a sluggish start, the Eagles found their stride with Salamat's entry, going on a 16-0 scoring run. After hitting on a few early baskets, UE's James Martinez has seen his shooting go cold and good looks become less and less easy to come by thanks to stifling perimeter defense led by Ateneans Tiu, Salamat, and Long. UE's bright spots at this point include Pari Llagas who has remained aggressive despite the Blue's onslaught, scoring on inisde pop shots, and even hitting on a right corner court three. Marcie Arellano's struggles against the Eagles have continued, as he has yet to string up baskets from the field. Hans Thiele seems to have lost his swagger as well. After bursting onto the scene in the game's early stages with a jumper and good defense on Rabeh Al Hussaini, he seems to have gotten tentative on the offensive end as the Eagles have tighted up the screws on defense.

Keys to the Game: 2nd Half

For UE-

*Limit Eagles' dribble penetrations which lead to drop passes and easy layups.
*Box out Baclao and Al Hussaini.
*Remain assertive with regards to going to the hoop.
*Be cognizant of Ateneo wingmen in fastbreak situations.
*Run, run, run...but don't be reckless. Don't take errant shots.

For Ateneo-

*Remain relentless on the dribble penetrations. Force the issue in terms of fastbreaks.
*Keep playing through Tiu, Jai, and Rabeh. Remain patient on the offensive end. The clock is on their side. No careless shots.
*Minimize turnovers, especially on the way upcourt.
*Keep controlling the paint. Dominate the boards.
*Silence UE backcourt/wingmen. UE lives and dies with their wingmen. Supress them, supress UE.

Halftime Stats:

FG:
15/29 admu
8/24 UE

Assists:
12 ADMU
4 UE

Turnovers:
11 Ateneo
14 UE

Fastbreak Points:
13 Ateneo
4 UE

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