BOUNCING BACK from their last game, the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) secured an 85-76 upset victory over the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons. The first of two Battle of Katipunan matchups this weekend was held earlier today at the Adamson University Gymnasium in the City of Manila.
Today’s win gives the Blue and White a 5-2 win-loss record to finish the first elimination round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Jhazmin Joson converted eight three-pointers en route to scoring a season-high 29 points. Junize Calago followed suit with a double-double of 24 markers and 12 rebounds.
Both Katipunan-based squads applied high-pressure defense on each other within the first few minutes of the opening salvo, with neither team able to go on a consistent scoring spurt. The Blue and White took advantage of UP’s turnover woes and foul troubles with a 15-2 scoring burst, with timely buckets and points from the charity stripe. The Fighting Maroons would counter, cutting the deficit to single digits multiple times. However, Ateneo was able to restore order to end the first ten minutes with a 26-15 advantage.
Despite Calago and Joson giving Ateneo a blazing 6-0 start to the second frame, UP would mount a 13-2 run, with Achrissa Maw converting two consecutive three-point play opportunities, 26-34. Joson momentarily quelled the dry spell for the Blue Eagles with a mid-range jumper, but UP would take advantage of Ateneo’s own fouling woes with inside finishes and three-pointers to finally take a one-point advantage, 42-41. Playing behind for the first time in the game, Ateneo made timely plays down the stretch to earn a 46-45 lead heading into intermission.
Following half time, Favour Onoh scored with an impressive display of strength and reach, giving her team the lead back at the onset of the second half. However, Joson denied the Fighting Maroons’ opportunity to put the game out of reach with a three-pointer from the heavens, 49-47.
To the detriment of the Blue and White, Kacey Dela Rosa would leave the court with four fouls early in the third quarter. With one of the Ateneo stars sidelined, the situation began to look dire for the Blue Eagles. However, Joson and Calago alleviated the worries by putting in bucket after bucket to keep their distance from their Katipunan neighbors, 58-51. Amid this battle between blue and maroon, Joson would push through the forces with a three from the perimeter, 66-58. UP would instantly respond back with shots of their own, ending the third frame with the lead cut to five, 68-63.
In the climax of this spectacular battle, Calago made jumper after jumper over the Fighting Maroons’ walls, opening this fierce quarter, 72-63. Afterward, a stretch persisted with each team not making a single basket until Favour scored an easy bucket, 72-65. Unfortunately for the UP Fighting Maroons, Joson responded with an electrifying shot from deep, 75-65.
With time running out, UP’s Tapawan would sink in a shot after a timeout was called, 80-73. In her final production, Calago would reel the lead back to 11, fouling out soon thereafter. The Blue Eagles paid no heed, as with 1:50 left on the clock, they took control of the game, marking the end of the Fighting Maroons’ undefeated run, 85-76.
Head Coach LA Mumar shared that Ateneo notched a breakthrough win and it was a testament to the mindset they had heading into the game. “We had the mentality that we really believe that we can beat any team,” he stated.
With the first half of the season in the books, the Blue Eagles will return to training in preparation for the second elimination round, with a schedule to be announced at a later date.
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-UP: 26-15, 46-45, 68-63, 85-76
Box Score:
Ateneo (85): Joson – 29, Calago – 24, Dela Rosa – 11, Villacruz – 10, Makanjuola – 7, Cancio – 4, Gastador – 0, Solis – 0, Angala – 0, Nieves – 0, Eufemiano – 0
UP (76): Maw – 17, Onoh – 16, Pesquera – 15, Bariquit – 8, Vigno – 6, Domingo – 5, Ozar – 3, Tapawan – 3, Sanchez – 3, Lozada – 0, Godez – 0
