IN ALL their magisterial glory, the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) puts the Far Eastern University’s (FEU) Lady Tamaraws to sleep, 79-66, en route to a Final Four spot. The contest took place earlier today, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The victory today crossed out any possible scenario of the Blue Eagles being overtaken by the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers for fourth place in the standings of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Ushering the Loyola Heights-based squad to the playoffs, Most Valuable Player candidate Kacey Dela Rosa continued her stellar Season 86 campaign with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks. Sarah Makanjuola reciprocated her star teammate’s breathtaking performance with stable play of her own, accumulating 14 markers, 16 rebounds, and three rejections.
During the first act of this electrifying faceoff, the Blue Eagles and Lady Tamaraws were both on a roll offensively, trading shots near the paint, 8-6. Attempting to shatter the monotony, FEU’s Julie Manguiat sank a shot from beyond the arc to gain a one-point advantage, 9-8. Unfortunately for Manguiat, the standstill between FEU and Ateneo persisted until the twin tower duo Kacey Dela Rosa and Sarah Makanjuola gathered three points from striking the basket, 15-11.
Alex Gastador and Junize Calago successfully replicated their comrades with back-to-back buckets inside the line, 21-13. In the final minutes of the canto, the Lady Tamaraws accumulated six points to cut the lead to four, but Sandra Villacruz thwarted their attempts to end the quarter with a momentum-killing shot, 25-19.
Both teams started out slow in the second frame, echoed by a lack of points in the first three minutes. Needing to tear down the deadlock again, Dela Rosa connected a jumper near the top of the key, 27-20. Ateneo and FEU then maintained their barrage of attacks on the baskets, eventually finalizing a 39-29 scorecard at the end of the first half, in favor of the Blue Eagles.
After the half-time break, the FEU Lady Tamaraws came out firing from all cylinders, 33-39. Ateneo’s Dela Rosa and Makanjuola responded kindly with bucket after bucket to open up another double-digit lead, 44-33. Coming alive after foul trouble, Team Captain Jhazmin Joson nailed a magnificent three, 47-37.
Dela Rosa and Makanjuola followed suit, executing their offensive game plan, 51-44. Momentum stayed with Ateneo to finish the third canto as Aishee Solis, Dela Rosa, and Villacruz secured easy baskets and foul shots, 59-51.
The final canto of the game replicated the ferocity of the previous quarter, as the Blue Eagles and Lady Tamaraws traded baskets inside the paint, 62-51. With their adrenaline pumping, Solis and Calago pulled off shots from above the break to extend this lead, 68-54.
Afterward, the Blue Eagles stretched the lead away from striking distance, 77-56, thanks in part to Calago and Villacruz’s late production. In the dying minutes of the game, the FEU Tamaraw chased for a comeback, 64-79. However, the Ateneo Blue Eagles were unaffected by their pursuit, fully aware that the game and spot in the Final Four was theirs, 79-66.
Head Coach LA Mumar entered the post-match interview with excitement, sharing his heightened expectations for the playoffs. “Last year, we were just happy to make the final four, but now we’re looking forward [to] more,” the Atenean mastermind said.
Even with their place in the final four secured, the AWBT will test their wills against their archnemesis, the DLSU Lady Archers. The game will be held on Wednesday, 11:00 AM, in the same arena.
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-FEU: 25-19, 39-29, 59-51, 79-66
Box scores:
Ateneo (79): Dela Rosa – 27, Makanjuola – 14, Villacruz – 13, Calago – 11, Solis – 7, Gastador – 4, Joson – 3, Nieves – 0, Eufemanio – 0, Angala – 0, Cancio – 0, Tan – 0, Mataga – 0, Chan – 0, Fetalvero – 0
FEU (66): Nagma – 18, Kaputu – 13, Salvani – 12, Del Prado – 10, Manguiat – 5, Aquino – 2, Paras – 2, Ong – 2, Dela Torre – 2, Santos – 0, Pasilang – 0, Lopez – 0, Caringal – 0
Current Standings (W-L)
- NU Lady Bulldogs: 11-1
- UST Lady Tigresses: 9-3
- UP Fighting Maroons: 9-3
- ATENEO Blue Eagles: 8-4
- DLSU Lady Archers: 4-7
- FEU Lady Tamaraws: 3-9
- ADU Lady Falcons: 3-9
- UE Lady Warriors: 0-12
