BOUNCING BACK in decisive fashion, the Ateneo Blue Eagles put on a shooting clinic to soar past the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 97-77. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 first round matchup was held earlier today at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

With today’s win, the Blue and White improved to a 3-3 win-loss slate which provisionally placed the Katipunan-based squad at fifth in the Men’s tournament standings.

Co-Captain Chris Koon led all Blue Eagles in scoring with 21 points off 50% shooting while also grabbing six rebounds and dishing out five assists. Chipping in for Ateneo’s dominant shooting display, Kai Ballungay and Joseph Obasa tallied 17 markers each, with the former going a perfect three of three from beyond the arc.

On the other hand, Nic Cabañero dropped 21 points, seven rebounds, and four assists for UST in 35 minutes of action. 

Banking on their stellar defense and well-executed early offensive sets, the Blue Eagles made quick work of the Growling Tigers, cruising to a 6-0 start. The España-based cagers only managed to sink their first field goal with just above six minutes remaining in the canto courtesy of Angelo Crisostomo. However, a quick answer by Obasa inside the painted area, followed by a corner triple from Ballungay ballooned Ateneo’s advantage to nine, 11-2.

With both sides in foul trouble for the remainder of the first frame, a long-range triple from Jared Brown and a last-second shot by the uncharacteristically silent Cabañero were the only points off field goals for the rest of the free-throw-laden first quarter, 17-10.

Building on their offensive impetus, the Blue Eagles kept the heat going by closing out the half with an impressive six out of nine shooting clip from beyond the arc. However, with receding effort on the glass, the Katipunan-based cagers allowed seven second-chance points heading into halftime. This discrepancy allowed UST to keep in step, equalling Ateneo’s output for the second quarter, 23-23. Despite the even frame, the Blue Eagles entered the second half with a comfortable seven-point cushion, 40-33.

Right from the onset of the second half, Obasa came guns blazing as the towering center immediately asserted his dominance in the paint with four consecutive and-one plays. The six-foot-ten big-man successfully converted three of the four freebies to score 11 quick points in just the first three minutes of the third period. 

Despite Obasa’s offensive heroics, the Blue Eagles’ defensive lapses still prevailed, preventing them from pulling away altogether. Consequently, led by Miguel Pangilinan and Cabañero, the Growling Tigers made Ateneo pay as they started to fire from all cylinders. Moreover, the UST frontcourt duo of Encho Laure and Christian Manaytay also dealt their fair share of damage with strong finishes around the rim. As a result, the Ateneo lead shrank to five with three minutes left in the third canto, 43-38.

However, Koon would not let the advantage slip away from their hands as the co-captain hit a crucial triple to raise the lead back to double digits, 70-59. The sniper’s scoring tally was already at 19 in just the first three quarters.

Charged on by their skipper, the Blue Eagles did not look back as the team was able to ride on their new-found momentum to finish the third quarter with an 11-point lead, 72-61. Obasa continued to prove that no one from the Growling Tigers can match him, as he continued to punish the UST frontcourt with his nifty moves under the rim.

With UST all but down and out, the Ateneo reserves were the ones to finish the job. Despite the Growling Tigers still clinging on to a manageable 13-point deficit, Ian Espinosa drained a heartbreaking three to bring the Blue Eagles back to their then-biggest lead of 16, 77-61. 

Junior forward Josh Lazaro followed suit as he went for a full court fastbreak layup right at the heart of the UST defense to put the Blue Eagles up by 20. Rookie Raffy Celis added salt to the wounds, scoring his first UAAP bucket in the form of a three-point basket to give the Blue and White its biggest lead of the game with less than a minute left in the already-decided contest, 97-75. UST’s Laure converted one last consolation basket, ultimately concluding the ballgame in favor of Ateneo, 97-77.

When asked how he would evaluate the team’s win today, Ateneo Head Coach Tab Baldwin said that he was satisfied with their performance on both ends of the court. Still, the 65-year-old mentor cites that he still needs to see improvement in terms of the team taking care of the ball and avoiding careless turnovers.

The Blue Eagles will look to overcome their toughest adversary yet when they go up against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on Sunday, 4:00 PM, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Box scores:

Ateneo (97): Koon – 21, Ballungay – 17, Obasa – 17, Amos – 15, Espinosa – 6, Chiu – 6, Gomez – 5, Brown – 3, Celis – 3, Credo – 2, Lazaro – 2

UST (77): Cabañero – 21, Manaytay – 17, Pangilinan – 11, Crisostomo – 8, Llemit, Duremdes – 7, Manalang – 5, Laure – 5, Calum – 3

Quarter scores: 

Ateneo-UST: 17-10, 40-33, 72-61, 97-77