The Ateneo Blue Eagles cruised past the National University (NU) Bulldogs, 77-60 last night at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
This win pushes the Blue Eagles (2-0) to the top spot of the elimination round standings in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 Men’s Basketball Tournament. Ateneo is tied with the University of the Philippines at the top of the leaderboards.
Reigning Season MVP Angelo Kouame led the Blue and White with 17 points and 12 rebounds, together with three monster blocks. After a breakout performance in their first match against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, Forthsky Padrigao continued his strong start to the season as he tallied 13 points and five assists. NU’s leader for the night was Mike Malonzo, who was the lone Bulldog to score in double digits with his 13 points accompanied by nine boards.
Ateneo got off to a strong start and never looked back as balanced scoring from their starting lineup brought trouble for Coach Jeff Napa’s troops. Kouame made quick work of the Bulldogs, scoring a rapid eight points that pushed Ateneo’s lead NU to 20-15 after the first period. This was followed by the Blue and White’s bench unit’s offensive struggles, allowing the Bulldogs to cut their deficit down to three, 31-28. However, Ateneo was able to regain control of the pace as the starters were put back on the court, 38-30. .
Leading by eight at halftime, the Blue Eagles went on to score 22 points in the third quarter, swelling the lead to 60-45. With a combined four three-pointers, Padrigao and Team Captain BJ Andrade played a big part in Ateneo’s impressive third quarter run. Adding to his team’s efforts, high-flying forward Kai Ballungay also scored six of his ten points in the third frame as he continued to adjust to the Tab Baldwin system.
As they established a cushioned lead, the only job of the Blue Eagles was to prevent NU from gaining any momentum in the fourth. Maintaining the good play from the previous quarter, Ateneo kept their foot on the gas pedal both offensively and defensively to finish the match up by 17 points, 77-60. The Katipunan-based squad held the Bulldogs to only 15 points for the fourth straight quarter, coming away with a comfortable lead to seal the victory.
When asked about the upcoming big game versus their school rivals De La Salle Green Archers, Coach Tab Baldwin said, “I think, for me anyway, the big picture is bigger than the small picture which is the rivalry. The big picture is how good we’re gonna get week after week, game after game.”
For their next matchup, the Blue Eagles look to continue their winning streak against the De La Salle Green Archers (1-1) on Sunday, October 9, 4:30 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.
Box Scores:
Ateneo (77): Kouame – 17, Padrigao – 13, Ildefonso – 12, Ballungay – 10, Andrade – 9, Koon – 6, Lazaro – 5, Gomez – 3, Daves – 2
NU (60): Malonzo – 13, Clemente – 9, Manansala – 9, Baclaan – 7, Figueroa – 6, Yu – 4, Galinato – 3, Palacielo – 3, Minerva – 2, John – 2, Tulabut – 2
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-NU: 20-15, 38-30, 60-45, 77-60
