UNIQUE as the Ateneo-La Salle duel on Saturday might have been, the feeling of fighting for one's pride over its archrival never wanes even if the rivalry game was held behind closed doors.
Gian Mamuyac surely felt that added intensity even with no fans in the stands as he wanted nothing but to come out of Mall of Asia Arena victorious.
"The Ateneo-La Salle rivalry really brings out the best in both teams," he said on the heels of the Blue Eagles' 74-57 triumph over the Green Archers.
Gian Mamuyac on Ateneo vs La Salle
Mamuyac didn't just say it, he made sure to live it as he made life difficult for his backcourt counterparts with his stingy defense that led to forgettable showings from Evan Nelle and Mark Nonoy.
The senior guard also did have an exceptional game for himself, adding 11 points to his six rebounds and six steals in the conquest to help in Ateneo's second-half pullaway.
But it's just another day in the office for Mamuyac who deflected the credit to the excellent preparations that coach Tab Baldwin and his staff laid out for them in this La Salle clash.
"I just want to give credit to the coaching staff for preparing us tremendously with their scouting reports and their sets," he said. "Defending them was still hard, but the coaches made it easier because they gave us everything, all the information, and the whole team committed themselves on defense, so that also helped."
Even Baldwin commended the dedication that the Blue Eagles had on the defensive end.
But if there was one quirk that he would have wanted more, it was on Ateneo's rebounding as it narrowly beat La Salle, 46 to 41, but still allowed the Taft side to grab 21 offensive boards.
"The defense was pretty solid throughout the game as was theirs, but when we weren't rebounding the ball, it didn't look so good because we weren't finishing possession with good defensive rebounds," he observed.
Ateneo will get a chance to rectify those mistakes as it looks for win no. 5 for the season -- and its 31st straight victory -- when it takes on National University on Sunday in front of fans in attendance.
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