Ateneo-LaSalle in 6 Photos

Last year's rookie of the year, Kiefer Ravena, set the pace for his squad, finishing with 8 points in the first quarter on his way to 16 points. The second-year star, along with Nico Salva, established their presence early, and the attacked the rim, to give Ateneo a soaring start. They led 20-8 after the opening period.

Not to be outdone, LA Revilla, La Salle's own firestarter of a guard, decided it was time to put his own mark on the game. With a series of drives, an and-one, and a three, he helped his team claw its way back from a double-digit deficit and trim it, 30-24, at one point.

His efforts weren't enough though as the opponents finished the period on another run capped by a layup by Greg Slaughter at the buzzer. At the end of two, it was 35-26, Ateneo.    

Speaking of Slaughter, the biggest Eagle on the court was the stabilizing factor on both ends. Finishing with 20 points and 7 boards, the center was too much to handle inside. When double-teamed, he consistenly kicked the ball out to teammates who rarely hesitated to take advantage of the gaps created by his presence.

At the start of the third, the Archers made a little run to close the gap, 37-33, courtesy of young guns, Jeron Teng, and Norbert Torres. The team would have surged past, but Slaughter had other things in mind as he scored 6 straight points to restore the double digit cushion.

Still in the third, La Salle's prized rookie, Jeron Teng, helped his team remain within striking distance. Teng, along with Revilla, went on a shooting barrage that finished with a Teng three-pointer that tied the game 42-all.

From there, it was a seesaw battle--one that eventually saw Ateneo preserving a two-point lead, 53-51, entering the last quarter.

Valiant though the Archers were, Ateneo's own big three, Salva, Slaughter and Ravena, were too much. The trio notched 23 of the team's 24 markers in the final period. La Salle pulled in close, 64-60 around the quarter's three-minute mark, but just couldn't get over the hump thanks to a few, good missed opportunities. The final tally ballooned back to a double-digit difference, 71-61, as La Salle found itself in penalty during the game's closing minutes.  

Now here's a picture of Richard Gutierrez chilling in the stands. Also in attendance were Joseph and Jinggoy Estrada, Gerald Anderson, former Chief Justice Renato Corona, and Rico Blanco to name a few.

Told you it's a good opportunity for celebrity spotting!