GOING UP against a National University (NU) Bulldogs team that swept the competition in the preseason, the Ateneo went into a matchup that was being touted as a sneak peek into this year’s finals. In the end, the defending champions made a statement with a resounding 89-65 victory at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on July 22.

Ateneo was playing its third game in seven days while NU came off an eight-day layover. The Blue Eagles did not show any signs of fatigue while the Bulldogs played a little rusty.

Similar to their previous two games, the Blue and White went off to a hot start. Juami Tiongson initiated the attack, scoring five points in the first minute alone, before Nico Salva made it 8-0.

The Bulldogs finally got their first points on the board thanks to Dennice Villamor, only to be canceled out by a Kiefer Ravena three-pointer to make it 11-2 with 7:22 left in the first period.

The following minutes became a contest between big men Greg Slaughter and Emmanuel Mbe. The two contributed six and eight points respectively in a span of two and a half minutes.

Reigning MVP Bobby Ray Parks finally scored by pulling up for a three, which the referees waived to a two. After that, it was constant attack by the Katipunan-based squad, ending the quarter on top by double-digits, 28-16.

The Blue Eagles maintained their offensive onslaught going into the second quarter. The Atenean defense prevented NU from getting into rhythm and they dominated the boards. Ateneo big men Chua, Slaughter and Erram played quality minutes and delivered for the defending champs. Chua made strong moves to the hoop and drained his signature mid-range jumpers.

NU desperately attempted to get back into the game, but the Bulldogs just couldn’t get going. Just like in their loss to UST, the Blue Eagles ended the first half with a considerable lead, at 55-34.

Unlike in the loss just three days earlier, though, Ateneo did not let up in the third quarter and played with championship caliber. Ateneo’s constricting man-to-man defense caused Coach Eric Altamirano’s men to either lose the ball or miss the shot. The Bulldogs paid for every mistake as Ateneo converted every NU error into scoring opportunities.

Led by Parks, NU managed to cut the lead to 15 with a 5-0 run with less than a minute to go in the third. It was Ryan Buenafe who halted the NU advance by knocking down a three—his only shot of the game—to beat the buzzer and put Ateneo back up by 18 points, 72-54. It shifted the momentum back in Ateneo’s favor going into the final canto.

NU went into the fourth quarter looking like they had already emptied the tank. Ateneo never looked back despite NU’s attempts to wear down the lead. Eventually, Parks fouled out of the game with less than five minutes remaining.

When Coach Norman Black sent his second stringers with a minute and a half to go, it indicated that the game was already done and dusted. Elorde converted both his free throws as the buzzer rang for the last time.

As for percentages, the Blue Eagles managed to take advantage of the charities, making 23 out of 25 (92%). In contrast, NU only converted 15 out of 29 (51.7%).

In addition, three-point shooting, considered the trademark of NU’s offense, went wayward for the Bulldogs. NU was a dismal two out of 21 (9.5%) while Ateneo managed four out of 11 (36.4%).

The misses that NU had also gave the Blue Eagles an advantage in the rebounding department. They hauled in 44 to the Bulldogs’ 35.

Salva was named player of the game, scoring 21 points with five rebounds. Ravena continued from his good game against UST, scoring 17 of his own. Slaughter tallied his second double double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Despite fouling out, Parks managed a game-high 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Coach Norman Black commended his team’s performance, noting the consistency that they lacked during the loss to UST. “The whole plan was just to execute for 40 minutes,” Black commented.

Up next for the Blue Eagles is the much-anticipated showdown against archrivals De La Salle Green Archers. Considered the most storied rivalry in Philippine sports, the game is set to take place at 4:00 PM on Saturday, July 28 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Box scores:

Ateneo: 89 – Salva 21, Ravena 17, Slaughter 14, Chua 12, Gonzaga 9, Tiongson 8, Elorde 3, Buenafe 3, Erram 2

NU: 65 – Parks 22, Mbe 14, Villamor 10, Ignacio 6, Roño 5, de Guzman 2, Betayene 2, Alolino 2, Khobuntin 1, Javillonar 1