TEARS STREAMED down the faces of the Blue and White when Binky Uy De Ong’s last-second heave rattled in and out, as the Ateneo Lady Eagles (3-9) failed to outlast the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons (6-7) in their second round match up of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Women’s Basketball tournament on Saturday, November 4 at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
With the loss and down to their last two games, the Lady Eagles are now out of contention for the last playoff spot as they fall two and a half games behind the now fourth-seeded Adamson.
It was a crushing defeat as Ateneo nearly completed a comeback behind the heroics of Tina Deacon after trailing for most of the game. The Lady Eagles had many chances to pull away late in the fourth quarter, but crucial misses down the stretch ultimately cost them the season.
Deacon led the way for Ateneo with 14 points, eight of them coming in the final frame. Nicole Cancio and Uy De Ong provided eight and seven markers, respectively, off the bench.
The dynamic duo of Nathalia Prado and Jamie Alcoy combined for 29 of Adamson’s 47 points, scoring 15 and 14 respectively, with Prado scoring the last six points for the Lady Falcons. Jonalyn Lacson also chipped in nine markers for the winning side.
A slow start marred by cold shooting from the Lady Eagles allowed Adamson to start the game with a 9-2 run. Jhazmin Joson and Cancio would then find their mark, combining for five points to end the quarter, 7-13.
Adamson gunner Alcoy continued her hot shooting in the second quarter to erect a double-digit midway through the period, 7-18, via a 5-0 run. Uy De Ong stopped the bleeding for Ateneo with a three from the wing, but the Lady Falcons continued to fire from all cylinders with a triple and an and-one play.
However, good positioning by Deacon allowed her to score four quick points to start a 10-0 run by Ateneo capped by a Cara Buendia and-one play and a Joson pull up three. Hazelle Yam ended the quarter with an ankle breaking pull-up jumper to trim the deficit to three, 24-27, heading into the half.
Deacon continued her inspired play, opening the half with a beautiful post hook. It was a low-scoring affair in the third period as both teams tightened up their defense. The Lady Eagles trailed by four, 31-35, entering the payoff period.
Uy De Ong sparked a 9-1 run to start the fourth with a basket and two assists. Deacon continued to stay hot with three straight baskets, including two and-one plays, to take a three-point lead midway through the quarter.
However, several critical misses by the Lady Eagles set up a wire-to-wire finish between the two teams. With 22.2 seconds remaining, Deacon found herself open on the break but missed the crucial lay-up. The center got her own rebound and was fouled on the putback attempt.
She then split the freebies, which allowed Prado to get an attempt that resulted in a foul. Prado hit both free throws to reclaim the lead for AdU with 12.7 seconds remaining and the score at 46-47. Those proved to be the game-winning free throws as Joson missed an open three from the corner, while Uy De Ong’s last second heave went in and out.
With the Lady Eagles now out of contention for the last Final Four spot, Coach John Flores is now looking into the future, sharing key points on what the team can improve on for the next season. “Composure, commitment to what we’re doing, and awareness, basically iyon because sometimes hindi nila ako naiintindihan eh,” (Composure, commitment to what we’re doing, and awareness, that’s basically it because sometimes they don’t understand what I’m trying to say),” Coach Flores shared.
The Lady Eagles will next face the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons (0-12) on Wednesday, November 8 at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City, in a bid to end the season on a winning note.
Quarter Scores
Ateneo-AdU: 7-13, 24-27, 31-35, 46-57
Box Scores
Ateneo (46): Deacon – 14, Cancio – 8, Uy De Ong – 7, Yam – 6, Joson – 5, Buendia – 3, Newsome – 3, Go – 0, Guytingco- 0, Villamor – 0
AdU (47): Prado -15, Alcoy – 14, Lacson – 9, Rosario – 7, Villanueva – 2, Araja – 0, Cacho – 0, Cabug – 0, Razalo – 0, Camacho – 0.
