MISSION COMPLETE. The Blue and White capped off a memorable Season 81 campaign, cruising past the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 99-81, to collect a second consecutive title in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, December 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Thirdy Ravena led the Blue and White’s offense as he racked up 38 points, six rebounds, and six assists in 32.33 minutes of action. Juan Gomez de Liaño, meanwhile, led the way for UP with 24 points and seven rebounds in 35.33 minutes of action.

The Blue and White were a force on the offensive end in the first quarter, as Ravena, Raffy Verano, and Angelo Kouame helped see the defending champions score a whopping 16 points in the first six minutes of play. SJ Belangel made quite the impression with his cameo in the first quarter, scoring four quick buckets in 20 seconds of play. Isaac Go’s triple closed out the period, 25-13, in favor of the Blue Eagles.

UP looked like a different animal coming out of the first quarter, as they bulldozed the Blue and White to a quick 9-2 run in the first three minutes of play. However, the Blue Eagles answered back with a run of their own, riding a deep Asistio triple to go on a quick 5-0 run at the 5:50 mark. By the end of the quarter, Ravena racked up 17 points, four assists, and two steals on his tally while Juan Gomez de Liaño finished with 13 points and three rebounds in about 16 minutes of action each. Late buckets from Ravena and Tio saw the Blue Eagles enter halftime with an 11-point advantage, 48-37.

Exiting halftime, the Blue Eagles remained aggressive on the offensive end as they bulldozed the Fighting Maroons with an early 11-4 scoring run, prompting UP Head Coach Bo Perasol to call a timeout at the 6:00 mark. Ravena continued his strong showing on offense as he set up teammates for baskets on numerous possessions. At the 2:00 mark, Ravena found Kouame for a slam through an excellent penetration drive. Eventually, the Blue and White ended the quarter leading by 14, 70-56.

In the fourth and final quarter, Ravena once again showcased his dominance with a number of highlight plays including an isolation triple for a 21-point lead at the 7:10 mark. Kouame also continued to assert himself, with an offensive rebound and basket to take an 86-65 lead. The Blue Eagles closed out the game at 99-81 to take the second Finals match, and the Championship crown.

Following the match, Ateneo Head Coach Tab Baldwin took time to praise UP for their season. “Their season had a lot of character to it. There’s only one champion, but there are two teams who play the last game of the season. And the team that doesn’t win must’ve still done something well.”

The Blue Eagles end Season 81 having dropped only two matches in the entire competition. On top of a second consecutive UAAP title, Ateneo’s Ivorian center Kouame was also honored as the UAAP Season 81 Rookie of the Year, while Ravena was awarded the title of Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 29.5 points, eight rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.5 steals in the finals series.

Quarter Scores (Ateneo-UP): 25-13, 48-37, 70-56, 99-81

Box Scores:

Ateneo (99): Ravena – 38, Kouame – 22, Verano – 11, Tio – 7, Ma. Nieto – 6, Asistio – 6, Belangel – 6, Go – 3

UP (81): Ju. Gomez de Liaño – 24, Akhuetie – 19, Desiderio – 15, Ja. Gomez de Liaño – 11, Dario – 8, Lim – 2, Vito – 2

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