AFTER LOSING on opening day, the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) bounced back big by scoring an 87-80 victory over archrivals De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers in overtime. The game was held earlier today at the Adamson University Gym in the City of Manila.
The Blue Eagles improved to a 1-1 win-loss record at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Junize Calago notched a near triple-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Kacey Dela Rosa and Sarah Makanjoula grabbed 16 boards each, scoring 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Calago and Dela Rosa came out firing in the first quarter, scoring the first five points of the game. However, DLSU were quick to counter with a 6-0 burst to take an early 6-5 advantage. Both teams then applied high-pressure defenses on each other, resulting in the score getting tied at 8-8 at the 3:52 minute mark. Despite scoring contributions from Dela Rosa and Makanjoula, Lady Archer Luisa San Juan’s three three-pointers would prove to be the difference in the first frame, giving the Lady Archers a 23-19 edge after the first 10 minutes.
DLSU’s hot shooting would continue in the second frame, with San Juan and Kreecie Binaohan hitting a barrage of threes. Instead of letting up, the Blue Eagles kept countering with their own mini-runs to keep the contest close. The Atenean spark came in the form of Calago, who provided timely rebounds and points. As a result of their persistence, the Katipunan-based squad would end the quarter on a high note after Ylyssa Eufemanio scored a three-pointer to give Ateneo a slender one-point advantage at halftime, 39-38.
Similar to the first half, both squads continue their back-and-forth affair at the onset of the third frame. Despite DLSU’s attempts to get closer, the Blue Eagles stayed composed and maintained their lead through Calago and rookie Aishe Solis’s timely buckets. Ramping up the intensity, both teams utilized their physicality to stiffen up their defenses, until the last few seconds when the Lady Archers closed the quarter on a 4-0 burst to knot the game up heading into the final canto, 53-53.
The AWBT were able to find an offensive groove early in the final frame, as they were able to mount an eight-point lead in the first few minutes, 65-57. Twin towers Dela Rosa and Makanjoula asserted their dominance on the boards, fighting for every offensive rebound and scoring crucial baskets inside the paint with less than four minutes left. However, free throw woes persisted for the Blue Eagles, either splitting their trips to the line or missing both. DLSU took advantage of this as San Juan hit another three-pointer, followed up by two more free throws from Bernice Paraiso to tie the game at 72 apiece, sending the game into overtime.
Both teams traded baskets as extra time began, but Ateneo’s free-throw problems continued to persist after Calago split her charity shots and missed both after drawing another foul, 78-74. The Blue and White were able to limit DLSU’s offense with their physicality and tight defense until a personal 4-0 run by San Juan. In need of a cushion, Team Captain Jhazmin Joson maintained her composure and hit a crucial triple at the top-of-the-key to expand Ateneo’s lead to five, with less than a few seconds to go. After another strong defensive stand, a layup by Katelyn Cancio would seal the Blue Eagles’ first win of the season, 87-80.
Ateneo Team Captain Joson credited her teammates for their gutsy win. “They were trying to fight back because everyone wanted to win,” she shared.
The Blue Eagles look to get back-to-back wins as they face the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons on Sunday, October 8, at 9:00 AM in the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Box Scores:
Ateneo (87): Calago – 22, Dela Rosa – 14 , Makanjuola – 13, Joson – 11 , Solis – 9, Cancio – 7, Villacruz – 6, Eufemiano – 3, Gastador – 2, Angala – 0
DLSU (80): San Juan – 29, Dela Paz – 14, Binaohan – 9, Paraiso – 9, Sario – 8, Mendoza – 6, Villava-cua – 3, Delos Reyes – 2, Bacierto – 0, Bojang – 0, Catalan – 2
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-DLSU: 19-23, 39-38, 53-53, 72-72, 87-80
