Photo courtesy of Mimi Abemis of Peyups.com

Philippine Internet hubs had a minor meltdown last night at around 6:30 PM, after news spread that previously winless University of the Philippines handed the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles their first loss in the 72nd season of the UAAP.

Before the game, I was already in a bad mood after the Iran beatdown of Powerade Team Pilipinas, and I was already bracing for something just as bad for the Fighting Maroons. The feeling got worse when UP again came out in their putrid black uniforms. I mean, they are the Fighting Maroons, for crying out loud! Is it too much to ask that they wear, you know, maroon?

But when the game tipped off, the tension wore off as UP had a good start. The team hit their outside shots and took care of the ball, while Ateneo was passive on offense and their shooting was lukewarm. Near the end of the first half, Ateneo threatened to break the game wide open, but Migs de Asis, a sharpshooter who had been warming the bench all season, hit a three-pointer that cut the lead to a more manageable 6 points and swung the momentum to UP.

And swing it did. All hell broke loose in the second half, with UP going on a 14-0 run at the beginning of the third quarter to grab the lead. Ateneo found UP’s zone defense impenetrable, and their shooters turned ice cold. The quarter ended with the Blue Eagles scoring just 6 points.

(Is it a coincidence that Ateneo had trouble getting any penetration, just as Kirk Long got rid of his Brüno hairdo? I think not!)

The Fighting Maroons held on through the fourth quarter, scoring timely hits and making key stops. Rabeh Al-Husseini tried to get it going, but Ateneo’s shooters failed to make the collapsing UP defense pay, clogging the lane for last year’s Most Valuable Player.

In hindsight, the UP win might not be as big a surprise as it first seemed. UP is better than its 0-3 record; while its opening game against National University was a disaster, it fared much better against Adamson and De La Salle.

Also, while Ateneo is still the deepest, most talented team in the tournament, the Fighting Maroons match up well with the Blue Eagles, not just in terms of personnel but in playing style as well. UP’s shored-up frontcourt rotation of Magi Sison, Carlo Gomez, Woody Co, and Mark Juruena allows them withstand getting hammered on the block by Al-Husseini or murdered by Nonoy Baclao on the offensive boards. Plus, all of them can make outside shots to neutralize the Ateneo twin towers’ shotblocking.

Apart from that, Ateneo does not have ballhawking guards unlike other elite teams in the UAAP, save for Eric Salamat, so they cannot take advantage of UP’s shoddy backcourt.

Finally, that was a charmed performance by UP; they hit shots they never hit, made plays they never make, and displayed swagger and poise they never show.

The Eagles are still the odds-on favorites to win the championship, and this loss will serve them very well in the tournament. But while it will go back to being round these next few days, this morning the world is flat, and the UP Fighting Maroons are the best team in the UAAP.

Oh, and one more thing: Suck it, bitches!