It was more of getting back to our defensive principles.
Ateneo de Manila University wrapped up the first round of Season 82 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament with a perfect 7-0 record.
And that flawless run should be credited to the Blue Eagles’ dedication to playing tough defense.
In fact, in their previous 89-63 win over University of the Philippines (UP), the Blue Eagles took it slow i before tightening their defensive screws in the third quarter to coast to the victory, leaving the Fighting Maroons frustrated and coach Bo Perasol charging at the referees.
“It was more of getting back to our defensive principles,” said the prolific American-Kiwi mentor, who powered New Zealand to a strong run in the FIBA World Championships in 2002.
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“We mixed a little bit more zone defense today that we normally do.”
Against UP, Ateneo took it slow as it entered halftime with a slim margin, 35-31.
But it was an entirely different story in the second half as the Blue Eagles clamped on the Fighting Maroons and limited them to only 15 points to build a 61-46 cushion and completely dictate the tempo of the match.
“They posted 19 points on drives in the first half. You can’t be successful if you can’t contain the ball on the perimeter,” Baldwin said.
“In terms of adjustments, it was really a mix of zone and just get back to your principles of forcing turnovers, get into the open court and see what we create.”
Making a living out of defense was nothing new for Ateneo.
They also held Far Eastern University to only 15 points in the first half before coasting to a low-scoring 63-46 win in their first-round encounter on 14 September.
“We were expecting that they would always go hard to the basket. But at the first half, we did not manage to contain them that’s why the first half was close,” said Will Navarro, who embraced the role of a defensive stopper, following their big win over their cross-street rivals.
“But we adjusted during the second half and we finally had a peak on defense.”
