THE ATENEO Blue Eagles are one win away from a finals berth and a 14-0 sweep of the elimination round after cruising to a 70-53 win over the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws. This was the penultimate game 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 (MOA) Arena in Pasay City.
Ateneo improved to a perfect 13-0 record to clinch the top seed in the final four while FEU slid to a 6-7 win-loss slate, remaining in a tight race for the last spot in the final four.
Raffy Verano led the way for the Blue Eagles by notching a double-double with 17 points and 13 boards. Tyler Tio followed closely behind as he finished with 14 points on an efficient 55.6% field goal percentage to go along with four rebounds and three assists.
Meanwhile, guards RJ Abarrientos and LJ Gonzales were the FEU’s top performers. Abarrientos finished with 12 points and five rebounds while Gonzales tallied an all-around 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
FEU jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the opening quarter, but Ateneo quickly responded with an 8-0 surge capped off by a pair of layups from a go-getter Dave Ildefonso. The Blue Eagles then added two triples via Ildefonso and Tio to extend their advantage to eight before ending the first frame with a 17-11 lead.
In the second period, the Blue and White opened with a 10-2 run, which culminated in a three by Jolo Mendoza to increase their advantage to 14. However, the Tamaraws stayed persistent as they trimmed the lead down to 10 heading into the dugouts.
After halftime, Ateneo padded their lead to 15 after a 7-2 run that included a pair of Tio jumpers. The Blue Eagles’ advantage then ballooned to 19 following a short stab by Ange Kouame before ending the third quarter with a tally of 51-34.
In the final quarter, FEU tried to stay within striking distance by cutting the deficit down to 11 following a triple by RJ Abarrientos. Ateneo then answered with an 11-2 counterpunch featuring a pull-up triple by Gian Mamuyac, taking a 67-47 lead. With the game out of reach for FEU, Forthsky Padrigao also entered the scoring column for Ateneo with a late triple.
The Blue Eagles capitalized on their -4 edge in turnovers with a 13-6 advantage in points off turnovers. Ateneo’s defense also stifled FEU, holding the Tamaraws to just 25% shooting from the field and a season-low 53 points. The Tamaraws’ 25% field goal shooting was the lowest from any team this season.
The Blue Eagles will try to clinch their fifth consecutive finals appearance by virtue of an elimination round sweep in their next game against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons at 7:00 PM on Sunday, May 1, at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-FEU: 17-11, 33-23, 51-34, 70-53
Box Score:
Ateneo (70): Verano – 17, Tio – 14, Belangel – 8, Ildefonso – 8, Mamuyac – 7, Kouame – 4, Koon – 4, Mendoza – 3, Padrigao – 3, Chiu – 2, Lazaro – 0, Daves – 0, Gomez – 0, Andrade – 0, Berjay – 0, Malilin – 0
FEU (53): Abarrientos – 12, Gonzales – 10, Torres – 8, Alforque – 5, Ojuola – 5, Tempra – 4, Sleat – 3, Sajonia – 3, Celzo – 2, Coquia – 1, Bienes – 0, Sandagon – 0, Li – 0
