THE ATENEO Blue Eagles ended their first round campaign in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Men’s Basketball Tournament on a humbling note as the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws came from behind to escape with a 63-60 victory on Wednesday, October 10, at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City.

Ateneo shot poorly as they put up season-lows in effective field goal % (eFG%) and three-point shooting, with outputs of 33.11% and 5/31 (16.13%), respectively. The Tamaraws, meanwhile, put up their most efficient three-point shooting display of the season with a 10/22 (45.45%) shooting clip from downtown despite being tied for the second most turnovers of the tournament so far with 27.

Angelo Kouame was the Blue Eagles’ most impressive player on the floor as he put up a double-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds, and a game-high 4 blocks in another strong showing. For the opposing team, Hubert Cani led the Tamaraws with 12 points on 5/12 (42%) shooting from the field.

The Blue Eagles started the first quarter in a dominant fashion; bulldozing the Tamaraws to an early 7-0 lead in the first minute alone off baskets from Raffy Verano, Thirdy Ravena, and their Ivorian center. Strong offensive possessions would continue to tell the tale for the Blue and White, as a lob from Ravena to Kouame about four minutes into the quarter established a 12-2 lead, forcing FEU Head Coach Olsen Racela to call a timeout. Cani’s injection into the game mended some of the damage as he went on to score six of his team’s 11 first-quarter points to reduce the deficit to eight, 19-11.

Jolo Mendoza provided the Blue Eagles their first points of the second frame with a triple and a free throw. The Tamaraws showed improvements in ball movement, as Wendell Comboy and Alec Stockton got numerous good looks at the basket on a number of possessions. Despite Matt Nieto being sidelined due to an injured finger, the Blue Eagles’ offensive display was enough to get them to halftime with a ten-point advantage, 32-22.

Jasper Parker was a man on a mission in the third period, as he put up five points in the first minute of action with an elbow triple and a mid-range jumper. The Blue Eagles’ difficulty on offense showed in this quarter as the Katipunan-based side went on a near five-minute scoring drought before being bailed out by Verano’s hook under the basket.

While the Blue Eagles’ offensive struggles continued, the Tamaraws found themselves riding a hot streak from the perimeter as a triple from Achie Iñigo eventually enabled FEU to take their first lead of the game, 36-39, with about two minutes left of play. The Blue Eagles would draw level, 39-39, through an Isaac Go free-throw to end the quarter.

After being outscored in the previous quarter 17-7, the Blue and White started the quarter on a quick basket from Gian Mamuyac to regain the lead. Iñigo, however, continued on his hot shooting streak by following up with back-to-back triples. Threes from Comboy and Brandey Bienes in the next two minutes continued to shut out the Blue and White, forcing Coach Tab Baldwin to call a timeout as the FEU lead increased to six, 47-53.

As Escoto was defending Ravena on the post in the second half of the quarter, the FEU forward was called for a foul while Ravena was slapped with an unsportsmanlike foul for an ensuing second motion that took him out of the game with 3:04 left on the clock.

Without veterans Ravena and Matt Nieto, Mike Nieto took matters in his own hands, scoring five points and dishing out to Kouame to keep Ateneo at FEU’s heels, 58-61, with 1:04 to play. In the sequence that followed, Mendoza stripped Cani for the ball only for Comboy to swipe it back, which led to an easy layup for a Escoto.

After Kouame’s put-back cut the deficit to a three-point game, Mendoza was able to force a turnover from FEU’s inbound. With no timeouts left, Adrian Wong brought up the ball with 14 seconds remaining. Shooters Mendoza and Anton Asistio were unable to break free from their defenders, which left Wong with the final shot. Despite getting a good look after a pump fake, the three ball did not meet the bottom of the net as FEU took home a 60-63 win.

Following the defeat, Ateneo Head Coach Tab Baldwin was quick to commend the performance of both teams. “FEU played great defense [and] a better game than us. Our offense was lacking, but the effort was certainly there,” he said. “You can’t force 27 turnovers and grab 19 offensive rebounds and complain about their effort. We just didn’t hit shots.”

The Blue Eagles look to improve on their 5-2 win-loss record against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at 4:00 PM, Sunday, October 14 at the same venue.

Quarter Scores (Ateneo-FEU): 19-11, 32-22, 39-39, 60-63

Box Scores:

Ateneo (60): Kouame 16, Verano 8, Ravena 8, Mi. Nieto 8, Asistio 6, Mamuyac 6, Mendoza 4, Go 2, Wong 2

FEU (63): Cani 12, Parker 9, Inigo 9, Comboy 8, Orizu 8, Bienes 8, Stockton 5, Escoto 4