AFTER A thrilling season, the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) concluded their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 campaign with a 43-58 loss to defending champions National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs. The Blue Eagles’ second consecutive Final Four matchup with NU was held earlier today at the Mall of Asia Arena in the City of Pasay.
Junize Calago stood tall for the Blue and White even in defeat, collecting 12 points, eight rebounds, and four steals. Meanwhile, NU’s Camille Clarin brought the perennial champions to victory with 12 markers and three shots made from outside the arc.
Looking to catch the Lady Bulldogs off guard, Sandra Villacruz came out aggressive in the first frame by driving hard for the layup to put Ateneo on the board first, 2-0. Despite Clarin’s swift three-point response, the Katipunan-based squad was still able to hold NU in a scoreless drought. Both teams then exchanged baskets and defensive sets with the score tied at 11 apiece with two minutes left. Aggressive defense by the Blue Eagles held the Lady Bulldogs to another dry spell, but a putback by NU’s Jainaba Konateh gave her squad a 13-11 lead after the first ten minutes.
The Blue and White started the second canto strong, with Calago producing five points within the first two minutes to give Ateneo back the lead, 16-15. From there, both squads traded blows, with multiple lead changes and deadlocks. The Sampaloc-based squad then launched a 5-0 burst to momentarily gain a little leeway, 28-23. Playing behind, inside scoring from the twin-tower duo of Sarah Makanjuola and Kacey Dela Rosa pulled Ateneo to within one, 27-28. Despite this, Gypsy Canuto replied with a three-pointer to extend NU’s cushion heading into halftime, 31-27.
After the resumption, NU surged on with their momentum, finding back-to-back quick drives to the basket, 35-27. The Blue Eagles attempted to respond, but the Lady Bulldogs kept on with their barrage to keep them at bay, 42-31. In an attempt to stitch the bleeding, Ateneo’s Joson and Villacruz found gaps in the Lady Bulldogs’ defense, trimming the point disadvantage by five, 37-42. Nevertheless, the reigning champions kept their composure and continued on with their aggression, garnering back-to-back baskets to replenish their 11-point advantage heading into the final quarter, 37-48.
In the closing chapter of the game, Ateneo’s Calago would blitz past the NU defenders, storming the rim with a decisive floater, 39-50. However, the Lady Bulldogs remained unperturbed, steadily sinking threes and midrange shots to stretch their lead, 58-39. Knowing that their season is on the line, Dela Rosa and Joson would score back-to-back baskets to open up the gates for a comeback, 43-58. Despite the duo’s bid to save their season, the final buzzer sounded in favor of the NU Lady Bulldogs, 43-58.
Reflecting on the season as a whole, Ateneo Head Coach LA Mumar said that while they were not able to achieve their goal of a championship, the future remains bright for the Blue and White.
“I believe the foundation has been laid, and we’re gonna get better in the next couple of years,” the Ateneo tactician shared.
With the AWBT’s campaign coming to a close, Team Captain Jhazmin Joson and veteran Alex Gastador have reached the final curtain call in their UAAP careers. As the cagers go down the hill, their fellow Blue Eagles will look to regroup, seeking to bounce back in Season 87.
Box scores:
Ateneo (43): Calago – 12. Dela Rosa – 10, Makanjuola – 8, Joson – 7, Villacruz -6, Gastador – 0, Angala – 0, Solis – 0, Nieves -0, Mataga – 0, Fetalvero – 0. Eufemiano – 0
NU (58): Clarin – 12, Pingol – 10, Canuto – 8, Konateh – 8, Berberabe – 4, Solis – 4, Cayabyab – 3, Betanio – 3, Talas – 3, Surada – 2, Fabruada – 1, Alterado – 0, Alcantara – 0
Quarter scores: Ateneo-NU: 11-13, 27-31, 37-48, 43-58
