WITH COACH Tab Baldwin missing on the sidelines, the Ateneo Blue Eagles fell to the National University (NU) Bulldogs, 61-65. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Men’s Basketball Tournament second-round matchup was held this afternoon at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Reinhard Jumamoy and Jake Figueroa led the Bulldog attack, scoring 21 and 18 respectively, and shooting at a combined clip of 15/20 from the field.
On the other hand, Joseph Obasa flirted with a double-double for Ateneo, scoring 11 points and nine boards in a losing effort.
As Assistant Coach Sandy Arespacochaga temporarily took over the head tactician duties, his Blue Eagle troops did not seem to miss a beat after the week-long break. Ateneo set the pace early in the opening quarter, led by a surprise seven-point scoring outburst by Jason Credo. After hitting two perimeter jumpshots and a top-of-the-key triple with the shot clock winding down, the veteran winger put the Blue Eagles on top by eight, 21-13.
Despite the strong Ateneo start, the second-seeded Bulldogs displayed their resilience with a 5-0 run. With the first quarter coming to a close, Reinhard Jumamoy drained a three-pointer from the right wing to bring NU within three, 18-21.
After a lackluster finish to the opening canto, the Blue Eagles immediately got back on track as they regained their focus on both ends of the court. Two quick three-pointers from Mason Amos and Ian Espinosa, as well as a Chris Koon bucket, brought the Ateneo lead to nine midway through the second period, 31-22.
However, Jumamoy did not let the game slip away easily for the Bulldogs. As veteran guard Steve Nash Enriquez was sidelined with an injury, the rookie continued to step up for the Bulldogs in the second period. The former UAAP Juniors MVP tallied 13 big points on a perfect 5/5 from the field to lead all first half scorers. With Jumamoy’s hot hand, NU was able to bring the ball game back to within a single possession heading into halftime, 38-35.
At the second half’s onset, Ateneo’s solid defense and aggressiveness on the offensive end propelled the team to a good third quarter start, 43-35.
Midway through the third period, the tides shifted in the Bulldogs’ favor as Jumamoy once again found his offensive rhythm while the Blue Eagles’ attacks became stagnant. After a full-court dime to Omar John and draining another trey, the scorching-hot Jumamoy gave NU its first lead of the second half, 48-45.
After a couple of baskets from Ballungay and Espinosa, Ateneo seemed to have regained the momentum. However, the NU rookie proved that he still had something left in his bag, pulling up for another three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter. The shot ultimately gave the Bulldogs the lead heading into the final period, 52-48.
Ateneo tried to find an answer to Jumamoy’s big night, with Jared Brown hitting two three-pointers to prevent NU from pulling away. However, the Bulldogs still had another weapon at their disposal as Jake Figueroa came alive in the fourth quarter. Providing energy on both ends of the floor for NU, the veteran made the biggest plays down the stretch for the Sampaloc-based squad to extend their advantage. Down by one with one minute to go in the ball game, Figueroa drained a game-changing three from the right wing to push the Bulldogs back ahead, 63-61.
As the Blue Eagles tried to come up with one last play to tie or take the lead, an NU turnover turned into a failed fastbreak opportunity by Brown after overcooking an easy layup. Figueroa then effectively sealed the game as he sank his two foul shots, 65-61.
Box scores:
Ateneo (61): Obasa – 11, Ballungay – 10, Koon – 8, Brown – 8, Credo – 7, Amos – 6, Quitevis – 6, Espinosa – 5
NU (65): Jumamoy – 21, Figueroa – 18, Baclaan – 6, Palacielo – 5, Lim – 5, Malonzo – 4, John – 4, Manansala – 2
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-NU: 21-18, 38-35, 48-52, 61-65
Current Standings (W-L)
- UP Fighting Maroons (8-1)
- NU Bulldogs (8-2)
- DLSU Green Archers (6-3)
- ADU Soaring Falcons (5-5)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (4-6)
- UE Red Warriors (3-6)
- FEU Tamaraws (3-6)
- UST Growling Tigers (1-9)
