COMING OFF a surprising setback against the Fighting Maroons in their last game, the Blue Eagles’ season is now back on track as they defeated the Adamson Falcons, 61-51, on July 30 at the Araneta Coliseum.
In a game that saw both teams struggling from the field, Eric Salamat carried the load for the Blue Eagles with the bulk of his 16 points coming in the second half.
The match remained close in the first two quarters, with Adamson even leading by a point, 22-21. But when the Falcons failed to capitalize on their free throws when Ateneo got into team penalty midway through the second period, the Blue Eagles sparked a 7-0 run to grab a 28-22 halftime lead.
Entering the third canto, the Blue Eagles pulled away and posted an 11-point margin, 35-24 thanks to Salamat’s heroics. The Katipunan-based squad, however, could not shake off the Falcons as they made a run of their own through fast breaks, cutting the lead to three.
The Falcons remained in striking distance in the final quarter, even converting three free throws off a flagrant foul on Salamat. It was then co-captain Jai Reyes’ turn to step up, scoring six of his 10 points on two three-point baskets late in the fourth for a 58-49 lead and to eventually seal the win for the Blue Eagles.
With veteran center Rabeh Al-Hussaini being limited to just six points by foul trouble and the opposition’s defense, the Blue Eagles managed to close out the victory as Salamat, Reyes and sophomore center Justin Chua took on the scoring role.
Chua showed his mettle in the shaded lane and compensated for Al Hussaini’s neutralization by scoring 8 points off the bench.
Head Coach Norman Black said after the game, “Jai stepped up and some of the bench players also stepped up. So as long as we continue to play defense, even if our offense is not clicking, we still have a chance to win.”
He added, “We talked about it before the game that we needed more from our starting guards and they really answered the call. They answered the challenge today. That was what we really needed as a team.”
The Blue Eagles’ next match will be against the National University Bulldogs at 2 pm on August 1, Saturday, at the Araneta Coliseum. With a report from Martin B. Romero
