Pride can make men play above what they are normally capable of. That certainly was the case on this day as the National University Bulldogs, eliminated from playoff contention long ago, fought with the pride of a champion. The Bulldogs put a scare into the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, losing only in the dying seconds to the quintet from Katipunan, 62-58. Coach Rico Perez's boys never gave up in this game, their final game to be televised this season.

Ateneo coach Sandy Arespacochaga mentioned before the contest that his team was okay despite losing their last game versus UP. "We're as concerned as the other teams," he said when asked about the positioning for the Final Four. In this first of two must-win contests, Ateneo played in bursts of brilliance, but also looked listless in other instances.

The first quarter saw the Blue Eagles score only 2 points in the first six minutes of play, only saved by timely triples from sophomore shooting guard Chris Tiu. Tiu had 7 of Ateneo's 11 first quarter points as NU's 1-3-1 zone forced the Blue and White to shoot jumpers rather than drive closer to the hoop.

The second quarter featured LA Tenorio showing flashes of brilliance in leading the Ateneo fastbreak, deftly avoiding defenders and finding open teammates. In one sequence, LA consecutively found Ford Arao, JC Intal twice, and Bajjie del Rosario for fastbreak layups. Ateneo also capitalized on 11 free throw attempts given to them by NU, converting on 10 of them. Halftime saw the Blue Eagles on top by a score of 28-22.

Both teams faltered badly from the field in the first half, shooting a measly 27%. As both squads shot a ton from beyond the arc, NU only converted on 1 out of 14 three-point attempts, with Ateneo not much better at 2 out of 13. Ateneo's 9 fastbreak points catapulted them to the lead.

The third period saw the Hail Mary squad finally getting into a good offensive-defensive rhythm. Big man Paolo Bugia got going on the offensive end, and LA Tenorio's amazing teardrop shot gave the Eagles their biggest lead of the game at 41-29. Unfortunately the Bulldogs would not give up so easily on this battle.

Jonathan Fernandez, Jason Malcontento, Edwin Asoro, Rey Mendoza, and company battled back through hard defense and balanced offense. The third quarter ended with NU trailing by only four points, 44-40. At one point in the final period, Ateneo forward Doug Kramer converted on a three-point play, NU's Edwin Asoro had a triple, and JC Intal had a three-point play of his own to give Ateneo a 50-43 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Bulldog defense once again clamped down on the Blue Eagles, clogging the lanes and discouraging any drives from the Ateneans. As a result, no Ateneo player wanted to shoot, and even when open, the Eagles were passing up golden opportunities. When Alex Miclat hit a three-pointer with only 37.3 seconds left in the game, NU came tantalizingly close at 57-56.

Most of the Ateneo crowd were in stunned silence, wondering if their dreams of a number one spot in the Final Four was fading away. Coming off a timeout, LA Tenorio attempted a game-breaking triple but missed. Luckily, co-captain Paolo Bugia was there for a tip-in plus a foul, as Ateneo led 59-56. Although he missed the bonus free throw, Jonathan Fernandez threw the ball away, dashing NU's hopes. Tenorio was fouled and made one free throw for a 60-56 advantage. An Asoro lay-in and two Bajjie del Rosario free throws later resulted in a 62-58 final tally.

Though the Eagles played ragged in some spots, there was enough brilliance in them to eke out the victory. With FEU also winning, the Eagles' and Tamaraws' clash on September 11 is more crucial than ever. The winner gets the number one spot and the automatic twice-to-beat advantage. The loser can still earn the automatic twice-to-beat, but only if UE beats La Salle on Thursday. If La Salle wins over the Red Warriors, the Ateneo-FEU loser plays La Salle for the twice-to-beat edge.

Asked for comments on the coming game, Coach Sandy said, "FEU is a hard team to beat so we have to work hard." Add to that the possible suspension of center/forward Doug Kramer for a wrongly called unsportsmanlike foul in the NU game, and the road to the Finals just got tougher. And though Coach Sandy said Ateneo will protest the suspension, the Blue Eagles are preparing for a war with the defending champs. The Araneta Coliseum better be reinforced for the looming battle.

The Scores:

ADMU-62: Tenorio-11; Bugia-9; Kramer-9; Intal-9; Tiu-7; Del Rosario-6; Escalona-4; Arao-3; Aguilar-2; Membrere-2;

NU-58: Asoro-17; Malcontento-12; Fernandez-8; Miclat-7; Mendoza-4; Mollena-4; Estolano-4; Catamora-2

Quarter scores 11-12, 28-22, 44-40, 62-58