WITH THE overtime loss against top-seed Adamson behind them, the Ateneo Lady Eagles looked to end the first round of Season 75 on a good note against host school National University (NU). Unfortunately, the Lady Bulldogs proved too much for the Lady Eagles, as they lost 75-57 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last August 19.
NU broke away early on using a balanced fast break to push the lead to 23-11 by the end of the first quarter. NU’s Eden Allan and Joi Tolentino led the charge off the bench, scoring four points apiece. Meanwhile, Samantha Ong carried the Lady Eagles by scoring seven of Ateneo’s 11 points in the first quarter. Ong made consecutive mid-range jumpers near the six-minute mark and buried a three with 15 seconds left in the quarter.
Despite being down by 12 coming into the second quarter, the Lady Eagles were able to keep pace with the Lady Bulldogs as veterans Sarah Mercado, Sara Bo-ot and Ong fired from the perimeter. Both teams displayed sloppy basketball at one point, as NU committed two straight offensive fouls only to be followed by two straight turnovers by Ateneo.
Sparked by Valerie Chua’s baseline jumper off an inbound pass, the Lady Eagles went on a 9-0 run midway through the quarter that brought the lead down to 32-24. The Lady Bulldogs, however, successfully thwarted Ateneo’s rally as they pounded the ball through Ateneo’s poor interior defense. Close shots from Risa Paig and a strong drive from Afril Bernardino dampened the spirits of the Lady Eagles as their opponents rebuilt their lead to 36-25 by the end of the half.
Ateneo returned to the second half by going on an 11-2 run. Coming off a career-high 23 points in their previous game, Mercado continued her hot streak as she scored seven points by utilizing her patented sidestep to get to the paint for the easy layup.
However, powerful post play by NU’s Gemma Miranda and a three-point dagger by Tolentino killed the Ateneo run. The momentum came to a halt when both sides played aggressive defense, forcing several turnovers from each other yet again.
It was at this point of the game that Lady Eagle Danica Jose made her presence felt by blocking three shots from the opposition. This wasn’t enough to stop another NU run, though, this time triggered by Andrea Tongco and Theresa Pama. With both of them at the helm, NU ended the third quarter with the score at 54-42 in its favor.
The start of the fourth quarter signaled the final chance for the Lady Eagles to mount a comeback against the fourth-seeded Lady Bulldogs. Much to the pleasure of the Ateneo crowd, they rose to the occasion, but still fell short in the end.
Back-to-back shots from Mercado opened the fourth quarter. Ong valiantly supported her captain with highlights ranging from driving lay-ups to a number of steals, which led to fast break points. Despite having only one point, center Jose also helped as she hauled down a total of 17 boards.
Ateneo was able to bring down the lead to 57-52 after an 8-3 run. A three from Paig with 1:57 left in the game put the lead back up to 60-52. This was the dagger for Ateneo as the Lady Eagles succumbed to the pressure by committing errors, losing possession and committing fouls that sent NU to the line for the 75-57 blowout.
The Lady Bulldogs won with a balanced scoring effort. Tolentino and Paig led the way with 13 points each. Bernardino was a steady contributor as well, scoring eight points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The NU bench was equally formidable, scoring a total of 28 points in the game.
Meanwhile, the Lady Eagles were led by another stellar performance from Mercado, who led the team with a new career-high 24 points and four steals. Ong added 17 points while Jose provided the backbone for the Lady Eagles with 17 rebounds and four blocks for good measure.
Scoring a combined 47 points in her past two games, Sarah Mercado has been on fire. However, this has proven to be futile, as the Lady Eagles have lost both games. They end the first round of the 75th UAAP season with a record of 3-4, placing them at fourth seed. The Lady Bulldogs, meanwhile, improved their record to 5-2, tying the De La Salle Lady Archers’ record for third seed.
Box scores:
NU 75 – Tolentino 13, Paig 13, Miranda 12, Laquindanum 9, Bernardino 8, Allan 8, Bonleon 5, Pama 3, Tongco 2, Oriel 2, Abriam 0
ADMU 57 – Mercado 24, Ong, 17, Chua 7, Tiu 4, Bo-ot 4, Jose 1, Javier L. 0, Nitorreda 0, Morales 0, Javier C. 0, Dimaano 0, Castro 0, Aseron 0
