BANKING ON a breakout game by first-time starter Mason Amos, the Ateneo Blue Eagles outlast the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in an overtime thriller, 99-89. The first-round Battle of Katipunan matchup was held this afternoon at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Today’s win puts the Blue and White in a 4-3 win-loss record and a provisional third place standing to finish the first round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Amos led all Blue Eagles with a double-double of 19 points off 60% shooting and ten rebounds. Chipping in for Ateneo’s scoring, Chris Koon, Joseph Obasa, and Kai Ballungay all tallied double digit markers, with Ballungay also securing ten rebounds en route to a double-double of his own.

On the other hand, CJ Cansino dropped 22 points on an efficient 10/17 shooting from the field in a losing effort for UP.

The Blue Eagles kicked off the Battle of Katipunan with strong drives to the basket, leading to multiple free throw attempts in the first two minutes of the opening quarter. With star forward Ballungay coming off the bench, rookie Amos immediately made his presence felt with his interior defense and strong rebounding. The 6’7” Fil-Aussie—who earned his first UAAP start in the first round finale—also initiated good plays on the offensive as he handled the playmaking duties inside the paint in Ballungay’s stead.

Despite the offensive jumpstart provided by Amos, Obasa committed two early fouls in the first two minutes of the opening quarter, which led to Coach Tab Baldwin benching the big man early. With the 6’10” center sitting out the rest of the quarter, the lack of rim protection for Ateneo provided more chances for the Fighting Maroons to attack the paint. However, the Blue Eagles fought back with their own aggressiveness in the offensive end as they staved off UP to end the quarter, 20-18.

With very little separating the two Katipunan-based teams at the end of the opening canto, a 7-2 UP run at the start of the second period proved to be a big momentum boost for the Fighting Maroons. Mark Belmonte drained a big three-pointer to put UP up by three, 25-22, in the seven-minute mark of the period.

Swinging like a pendulum, the momentum did not last long for the Maroon side of the arena, as Ateneo answered back with a 9-0 run of their own to put them up by six, 36-30.

UP once again threatened to regain the lead, as Gerry Abadiano and Belmonte combined for 21 points off big-time jumpers to keep the Fighting Maroons afloat in the second quarter. In spite of the duo’s efforts, the Blue Eagles’ exceptional transition defense, free throw shooting, and rebounding efforts kept Ateneo in the driver’s seat heading into the intermission, 44-43.

At the onset of the second half, Obasa immediately made up for his early absence by scoring two straight baskets in the paint. The 6’10” center topped off his short run by nailing an and-one to put the Blue Eagles ahead by four, 49-45. As Ballungay’s basket inside the paint extended the lead by six, the Fighting Maroons started their own short scoring skid after failing to penetrate Ateneo’s dominance at the rim.

Attempting to swing the lead back in UP’s favor, Harold Alarcon completed an and-one then pulled up for a jumper, 50-51. CJ Cansino then drove in the paint to give the number-one seed its first lead in the second half, 52-51. With the Blue and White’s offense producing next to nothing, Jared Brown drilled a three-pointer off the pick to put Ateneo back in front, 54-52. A series of baskets then followed suit from both teams, highlighted by Cansino taking advantage of the mismatch against Brown to put UP ahead by one, 62-61.

Ateneo remained unfazed and kept their composure against a scorching Cansino as they finished the third outing leading by five, with baskets from Koon and Jason Credo, 68-63. The Blue and White continued their proficiency on the offensive end at the start of the final canto, extending their lead to nine as Amos drilled a triple after a rejection from Francis Lopez, 74-65.

Cansino continued wreaking havoc on the offense end, as he willed the Fighting Maroons with timely baskets around the perimeter and in the restricted area. With two minutes remaining, Lopez rejuvenated a scraping UP by nailing an open three and a reverse layup off the lob to put the trailing squad within striking distance, 78-80.

With momentum on their side, the Fighting Maroons were able to even the game at 80 off a crucial offensive rebound from Reyland Torres with less than a minute remaining. As the dying seconds approached, Obasa denied JD Cagulangan’s drive during the final possession of regulation to send Ateneo to its third overtime of the season, 80-80.

The Katipunan rivals mirrored each other’s baskets to keep the game knotted at 85 to start the extra period. With both teams still trying to dictate the pace, Amos stood up for the Blue Eagles as the rookie nailed a fadeaway jumper and a step-back three to give the team a two-possession advantage with less than two minutes left, 90-85.

After an Obasa slam off the pick-and-roll with Brown extending the lead to seven, Cansino drew a crucial whistle but failed to convert the extra shot, 92-87. The Fighting Maroons were able to secure the offensive board and draw a foul for another trip at the line, but came out empty handed after missing both, 87-92 with 48.0 seconds remaining.

Amos would then score an easy two off the inbound, reassuring Ateneo’s lead, 94-87. After a couple of trips to the line courtesy of intentional fouls from UP, the Blue Eagles finished the extra time period ahead by 10 points, 99-89, staining the Fighting Maroons’ unblemished record.

Coach Baldwin admitted that the squad’s statement win against the undefeated team was good for their program. However, he emphasized the consistency the squad needs to carry over the entire season.

“This is a great sign for the development of our team [but] we have seven games to go until we start showing consistency over more than just a couple of games. Nobody should rest. Nobody should feel comfortable,” the lead tactician shared.

With the conclusion of the first half of the season, the Blue Eagles will return to training in preparation for the second elimination round, with the schedule and venue to be announced at a later date.

Box scores:

Ateneo (99): Amos – 19, Koon – 17, Obasa – 13, Ballungay – 10, Brown – 9, Espinosa – 8, Credo – 8, Nieto – 7, Quitevis – 3, Lazaro – 3, Chiu – 2

UP (89): Cansino – 22, Diouf – 13, Abadiano – 12, Belmonte – 9, Torres – 8, Torculas – 6, Alarcon – 5, Lopez – 5, Cagulangan – 5, Alter – 3, Felicilda – 1

Quarter scores: 

Ateneo-UP: 20-18, 44-43, 68-63, 80-80, 99-89