AS GOOD as advertised is the best way to describe round two of the Battle of Katipunan earlier today after the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons outlasted the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 84-83, to hand them their first loss since the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena (MOA).
With the defeat, Ateneo now faces a tougher road to the championship, taking on the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws in a traditional Final Four format. Had the Blue Eagles won, a step-ladder format would have been adopted. The loss signaled the end of Ateneo’s 39-game winning streak, which stretches back to 2018.
The Fighting Maroons came to play in the opening canto, grabbing a quick 17-9 lead thanks to Carl Tamayo and Malik Diouf’s contributions from every facet of the floor. The scorching-hot UP squad then promptly expanded the lead to double digits after Ateneo Head Coach Tab Baldwin called for time.
This was the first time all season that Ateneo had faced a double-digit points deficit.
The Blue Eagles were presented with a tough hill to climb early on as they went down 27-13 at the end of the first quarter with nothing going their way.
Backed into unfamiliar territory, the defending champions had to string runs together to cut UP’s lead into single digits. Ange Kouame was the biggest factor for the Blue Eagles in the second, dominating the paint from both ends of the court. Dave Ildefonso also made his presence felt in the second frame, trimming his team’s deficit back to single digits with his strong play.
When it seemed like Ateneo was about to come back into the game, hits from downtown by the second seed UP kept the Blue Eagles in check—leaving the Fighting Maroons with a retained six-point lead heading into the halftime break, 50-44.
SJ Belangel came up big to begin the third, pushing the Blue Eagles to a precarious one point lead. Rallying back once again, the Fighting Maroons answered by way of big baskets from Zav Lucero. Meanwhile, Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate Kouame continued his strong showing on the glass to keep the game close as the quarter wound down. The game headed into the final quarter of the elimination round with UP holding onto a precarious three point lead, 70-67.
It was a back-and-forth showing in the final frame after Coach Tab’s team took the lead early in the quarter. The fourth was characterized by a plethora of deadlocks and lead changes. In the last minute of the game, James Spencer gave the Fighting Maroons the lead, only to be answered by a counter from Ildefonso after a big offensive rebound. The Blue Eagles led 83-82 with 22 seconds left in the ballgame.
With UP in possession of the basketball, the Blue Eagles fouled Ricci Rivero as he drove to the basket. Rivero went on to sink the pressure-packed free throw attempts. The Blue Eagles could not convert on the other end after Belangel’s miss from three. For the first time in 39 games, the Blue Eagles fell short of a victory.
In a strong showing to further prove his case for league MVP, Kouame led the way for the Blue Eagles with a dominant 21-17 statline despite the losing effort. Ildefonso had one of his best games of the season with 18 points and seven boards.
On the other end of the court, the hero for the UP Fighting Maroons came from their import big man Diouf, who dropped 18 points and 16 rebounds en route to the victory. Tamayo followed suit with 16 markers and four rebounds of his own.
With the loss, the Blue Eagles drop to 13-1 for the season. Coach Tab and his crew hope to bounce back from the defeat as they take on the FEU Tamaraws in the Final Four.
Ateneo and UP will both have twice-to-beat advantages heading into the semifinals, with Ateneo squaring up against FEU and UP battling the De La Salle University Green Archers. The Blue Eagles are set to face the Tamaraws on Wednesday, May 4, 6:00 PM at the MOA Arena.
Box Score:
Ateneo (84):
Kouame – 21, Ildefonso – 18, Belangel – 11, Andrade – 10, Verano – 7, Tio – 6, Koon – 5, Lazaro – 2, Mendoza – 2, Chiu- 1, Mamuyac – 0
UP (83):
Diouf – 18, Tamayo – 16, Spencer – 12, Cansino – 11, Lucero – 9, Rivero – 8, Cagulangan – 7, Fortea – 3, Alarcon – 0, Webb – 0, Lina – 0
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-UP: 13-27, 44-50, 67-70, 83-84
