THE ATENEO Blue Eagles made light work of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers with a dominant 101-51 blowout to preserve their pristine 10-0 record in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena earlier today.
With the win, the Blue Eagles are the first team in the tournament to clinch a spot in the Final Four.
The Katipunan-based squad put on a clinic, showcasing their full brilliance on both ends of the floor. Ateneo shot an impeccable 57.6% from the field, including a 47.8% outing from downtown. UST was held to a mediocre 28.6% shooting while also committing 20 turnovers. The Blue Eagles displayed their interior prowess, crashing the boards for an impressive 49 rebounds compared to the Growling Tigers’ 32. To cap it all off, Ateneo had 27 assists in total—18 more than UST managed.
“I think that the difference in the scoreline is a reflection of our coaching staff demanding a 40-minute performance.” mentioned Ateneo Head Coach Tab Baldwin.
Ateneo set the tone early and put the Growling Tigers on clamps in the opening quarter. Limiting UST to just single digits, the Blue Eagles cruised to a comfortable 14-point lead heading into the second quarter, 22-8.
The Blue and White continued to pound on the Growling Tigers in the second, highlighted by back-to-back threes from SJ Belangel including a creative one-legged triple off the dribble from the left wing. Belangel’s offensive showcase handed Ateneo the 46-21 lead heading into the second half.
Continuing their domineering performance, the Blue Eagles went on a 22-0 run in the third quarter led by the sustained hot shooting from the Bacolodnon cager Belangel who had three more booming triples. Ateneo went on to lead by as much as 50 in the third, finishing with a comfortable 80-36 advantage.
It was more of the same in the final salvo as the Atenean squad kept up their intensity, extending their lead to 53—the highest point differential so far this Season 84. Ateneo went on to win the game, 101-51.
Six Blue Eagles had double-digit points, led by Raffy Verano with 18, followed by Belangel who had 16 markers built on five threes. Young big men Geo Chiu and Joshua Lazaro also tallied their season-highs with 14 and 12 points, respectively.
Ateneo’s masterclass of a 50-point cushion is the biggest winning margin by any team in the UAAP since statistics were first computerized in 2003. They now shift their focus onto their game against the National University Bulldogs, to be held this Saturday at the MOA Arena, 12:30 PM.
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-UST: 22-8, 24-13, 34-15, 21-15
Box Score:
Ateneo (101) – Verano – 18, Belangel – 16, Chiu – 14, Lazaro – 12, Ildefonso -11, Kouame – 10, Koon – 9, Andrade – 6, Padrigao – 5
UST (51) – Cabanero – 18, Manaytay – 9, Fontanilla – 8, Manalang – 7, Concepcion – 5, Yongco – 2, Santos – 2
