THE ATENEO Blue Eagles picked up their third victory of the season after topping the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, 78-47. This was the third game in the first round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 Men’s Basketball Tournament and was held earlier today at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Ateneo improved to an unblemished 3-0 record to remain atop of the standings while Adamson slid to a 1-2 win-loss slate nearing the midway point of the first round.
Every player that entered the game for Ateneo contributed, with Ange Kouame’s double-double leading the way with game-highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Newcomers Chris Koon and Forthsky Padrigao each had the best performance of their young careers, as Koon turned in nine points and five boards while Padrigao scored eight points to go along with four assists and zero turnovers.
Meanwhile, Lenda Douanga and Keith Zaldivar led the Soaring Falcons in scoring with six points apiece. However, both struggled to score efficiently, as they shot 30.0% and 37.5% from the field, respectively.
Both teams had a slow start to the game, with Adamson taking a 5-4 lead near the midway point of the first quarter. Ateneo then went on an offensive onslaught, going on a 32-8 surge spanning the first and second quarter to take a 36-13 lead, which culminated with a Padrigao triple. However, the Soaring Falcons remained undeterred as they answered with an 11-0 run of their own to end the half down by 12.
After halftime, Adamson cut Ateneo’s lead to eight before Ateneo went on their patented third quarter avalanche, scoring 18 unanswered points which were capped off by a pair of Josh Lazaro free throws to take a 54-28 edge. The Blue Eagles continued their scoring tear with a pair of runs in the final frame, opening the quarter with a 9-0 spurt followed by a 13-2 run late in the game to take a 35-point advantage.
The Blue Eagles’ bench turned in a stellar offensive performance, scoring 47 points to match the total output of the entire Adamson team. Ateneo also moved the ball well, getting 23 assists on 28 made baskets. Meanwhile, Adamson struggled for most of the game against the Blue Eagles’ stout defense, shooting just 29.2% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the arc.
After the game, Ateneo Head Coach Tab Baldwin credited his bench not just for their offensive performance, but also for their defensive success:
“Everybody has to produce, and in today’s game it wasn’t just that everybody scored but everybody [also] played defense, the rebounders did their job, and we did a good job against their transition game,” he said.
The Blue Eagles’ next game is a rivalry matchup against the De La Salle Green Archers at 7:00 PM on Saturday, April 2, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-AdU: 17-8, 36-24, 54-34, 78-47
Box Score:
Ateneo (78): Kouame – 13, Tio – 9, Koon – 9, Padrigao – 8, Verano – 8, Gomez – 8, Ildefonso – 6, Chiu – 3, Mendoza – 3, Mamuyac – 3, Belangel – 2, Lazaro – 2, Andrade – 2, Daves – 0, Malilin – 0
AdU (47): Zaldivar – 6, Douanga – 6, Manzano – 5, Yerro – 5, Jaymalin – 5, Hanapi – 5, Lastimosa – 4, Magbuhos – 3, Peromingan – 2, Sabandal – 2, Erolon – 2, Colonia – 1, Calisay – 1, Barasi – 0, Fuentebella – 0, Maata – 0
