LEANING ON the last-minute heroics of Mason Amos, the Ateneo Blue Eagles snatch the PinoyLiga Collegiate Cup Season Two title after escaping the National University Bulldogs in a thrilling Finals duel, 65-63, earlier today at the Villar Coliseum in the City of Las Piñas.
The Blue and White conclude the pre-season tournament with an unblemished 11-0 record, sweeping the competition from the elimination round up until the finals.
Despite no Blue Eagles scoring in double digits, Finals MVP Kai Ballungay led the way with nine points while chipping in four rebounds and two steals. Big man Mason Amos and Geo Chiu followed closely with eight markers each.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Diassana dropped 12 points while copping eight boards for the Bulldogs.
The Katipunan-based squad came out firing on all cylinders, opening the first quarter with a 10-2 run. Ateneo’s defensive pressure resulted in their stellar work on the offensive end, as they forced turnovers and collected three steals within the first five minutes of the game. However, the Bulldogs quickly countered with 10 unanswered points to take the lead, 12-10. Both sides proceeded to trade blows until a Raffy Celis and-one fastbreak play gave the Blue Eagles the advantage to close out the frame, 20-18.
Hoping to swing the game’s momentum in their favor, NU set the pace to start the second canto. The Bulldogs’ defensive gambits silenced Ateneo, allowing them to go on a 7-0 salvo. Forced to look for options outside the paint, the Blue Eagles found their rhythm from beyond the arc. Lebron Nieto and Ballungay knocked down a triple each, giving Ateneo a 30-25 lead. Another huge three from Amos gave the Blue and White some breathing room heading into halftime, 38-34.
Entering the final half, both sides were ice cold from the field, with Ateneo going scoreless for the first five minutes of the third frame. On the other hand, the Bulldogs were limited to only four points in the same duration, equalizing the contest at 38. The back-and-forth affair ended with a triple by Patrick Yu, giving NU the advantage at the end of the third, 49-48.
Keeping the same momentum, both squads each traded buckets and refused to back down in a physical fourth quarter. With NU up by one and with the championship on the line, Amos knocked down a much-needed triple to regain the lead with a minute left in the game, 65-63. Despite finding consecutive chances to tie the game, the Bulldogs were unable to overcome Ateneo’s lockdown defense. Having one last opportunity, Jolo Manansala chucked up a final three-pointer but Joshua Lazaro’s defense ensured the crown’s place in Loyola Heights.
Mythical team member Ballungay shared that finding consistency was his key takeaway from the Blue and White’s pre-season stint. “It’s something that we’re trying to build on moving forward,” the Finals MVP added.
According to Ballungay, the Blue Eagles will travel to Australia for their offseason training starting Saturday, July 1, and will face professional teams based in the area.
Box Scores:
Ateneo (65): Ballungay – 9, Amos – 8, Chiu – 8, Espinosa – 7, Obasa – 6, Celis – 5, Koon – 5, Brown – 4, Credo – 4, Bongo – 3, Lazaro – 3, Nieto – 3, Quitevis – 0
NU (63): Diassana – 12, Palacielo – 9, Francisco – 8, Malonzo – 7, Manansala – 7, Lim – 5, Padrones – 4, Gulapa – 3, Jumamoy – 3, Yu – 3, Casinillo – 2, Parks – 0, Santiago – 0
Quarter Score:
Ateneo-NU: 20-18, 38-34, 48-49, 65-63
