FOR THE second straight game, the Ateneo Blue Eagles limited their opponents to single-digit scoring in the fourth quarter as they broke away from the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws to win, 70-59, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball tournament on Saturday, October 21 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
In a similar manner to their last game, the Blue Eagles fell behind early in the first half and had to stage a fourth quarter comeback to stay undefeated. Ateneo outscored the Tamaraws, 23-9, in the fourth quarter to win by double-digits for the ninth time in ten wins this season.
The victory brings Ateneo’s winning streak to ten in a row, and with four contests remaining, the Blue Eagles have clinched a spot in the Final Four. If Ateneo is able to win the rest of their contests, a step-ladder format will be implemented to grant the Blue Eagles an automatic spot in the UAAP Finals. On the other side, the Tamaraws fall to .500 at 5-5, and hold just a half-game lead over the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons for the fourth and final playoff spot.
Raffy Verano provided a huge spark in this game as he scored a season-high 14 points off the bench, with eight of them coming in the fourth quarter. Matt Nieto also dropped 14 markers, along with six boards and two pilfers. Thirdy Ravena, Ateneo’s leading scorer, was limited to a season-low six points.
The Tamaraws were led by fifth-year player Ron Dennison who had 12 points and eight rebounds. A pair of former Ateneo Blue Eagles also scored in double figures, with Arvin Tolentino notching an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double and Hubert Cani pouring in ten markers.
Both teams took and made the same number of field goals and three-pointers, but the difference in the game proved to be the free throw shooting, as FEU shot just 6/13, while Ateneo made 17 of 26.
The Blue Eagles began the match cold, mustering only four points in the opening seven minutes, compared to the 16 scored by FEU. Ateneo responded with an unanswered 8-0 run (16-12), but were thwarted by former Blue Eagle Arvin Tolentino, who ended the period on a solo 5-0 run to give his team a nine-point cushion at the end of the first.
Ateneo clamped out on defense to begin the ensuing quarter. Verano and Isaac Go bannered a run early in the second that tied the game (21-21). The perimeter shooting by FEU continued to compound Ateneo throughout the period, as the Blue and White failed to gain the lead in the second period after their strong start.
The Blue Eagles erupted on offense to start the second half, going on a 10-4 run highlighted by an Anton Asistio triple that brought the gap within a single point (37-38). Tolentino stopped another Ateneo run yet again, however, as his and-1 made it a six-point game (38-44).
Ateneo kept the momentum going with another run capped by a Matt Nieto corner triple, which cut the deficit to a single point once again (47-48), but Axel Inigo ended the stretch with a baseline jumper to conclude the third period.
Verano continued to prop up his team with scoring as the clock wound down. The forward hit a pair of free throws in the seventh minute of the final period, which gave the Blue Eagles their first lead of the match (53-52). The charities kicked off a 13-2 scoring stretch for Ateneo which helped them pull away with a comfortable advantage late in the game. An emphatic Ravena block, which was followed up by a Matt Nieto three-point play, sealed the victory for Ateneo.
After the game, Assistant Coach Sandy Arespacochaga pointed out what went wrong for Ateneo early in the game. “We had some lapses defensively. We didn’t move the ball as much in the first quarter and some parts of the second,” he said. “At halftime, Coach Tab [Baldwin] wanted to address [the defense and ball movement], and our players came out and did exactly that.”
The Blue Eagles will next face the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors (2-7) on Saturday, October 28, 2:00PM, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Quarter Scores
Ateneo-FEU: 12-21, 27-34, 47-50, 70-59
Box Score:
Ateneo (70): Nieto Ma. – 14, Verano – 14, Tolentino – 7, Ravena – 6, Black – 6, Asistio – 6, Ikeh – 5, Go – 5, Nieto Mi. – 4, Mamuyac – 3
FEU (59): Dennison – 12, Tolentino – 11, Cani – 10, Parker – 7, Orizu – 6, Escoto – 5, Ebona – 4, Inigo – 4
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