WITH JUST three games left in the elimination round, the Ateneo Blue Eagles captured a critical win on Sunday, September 8, at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena. The Blue Eagles overcame the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 77-72, in a hotly contested encounter which allowed them to keep their Final Four hopes alive.
Both teams started rather slowly in the first quarter, with the Red Warriors taking an early 4-0 lead. Ateneo finally got their first two points courtesy of Chris Newsome with less than eight minutes on the clock, but was answered by a Roi Sumang layup a minute later. Three subsequent free throws from Sumang stretched their lead to seven, 9-2, at the halfway point of the quarter.
A 6-0 run bannered by a Kiefer Ravena fastbreak layup with 3:40 left then edged the defending champions to within one, 8-9. Exactly a minute later, Von Pessumal hit a three-pointer from the wing to tie the game for the first time at 13 all. Seconds later, Dan Alberto was fouled while taking a three. He then converted two of three from the line, giving the lead back to UE, 15-13. Free throws from JP Erram and Charles Mammie on either end proved to be the remaining action of the quarter, as it ended at 16-14 for the Recto-based contingent.
Sumang started the scoring festivities in the second quarter with a pull-up jumper which Pessumal matched in the next possession. Newsome then almost provided a highlight reel dunk, only for it to bounce off the back iron. Luckily, Ryan Buenafe was there to collect the rebound and the put back, tying the game once again, 18-18 with 7:26 remaining.
Afterwards, UE Head Coach Boycie Zamar’s troops went on a 13-4 run, stretching their lead to nine, 31-22. The Blue Eagles attempted to get closer, but Sumang and Mammie had other ideas, with the former hitting a three that kept his team’s lead at nine, 36-27, with just 2:03 left in the first half.
At this point, Ateneo was limited to free throws, as Sumang hit two more jumpers within the last minute of the half, the second of which with three seconds remaining that sent UE into the dugout with a 10-point lead, 44-34.
The Blue Eagles, who were playing without their head coach Bo Perasol due to his one-game suspension, came out of the break win guns blazing. Ravena, who led the team in scoring with 22 points, spearheaded the squad’s comeback surge in the penultimate period.
Ateneo finally took the lead at the six-minute mark care of Juami Tiongson, 48-47. Both teams then traded blows, neither gaining any real advantage, and it stayed that way until the end of the quarter. With just over a minute left, Ravena hit a go-ahead basket to give Ateneo a slim one-point lead, 56-55. The score would remain that way until the end of the period.
Much like the third quarter, the Katipunan-based contingent started the quarter off with quick scoring. And now with the scores close, they were able to mount an eight-point lead, 63-55, after a jumper by Nico Elorde.
UE attempted to get closer, when JM Noble hit a tough triple that cut Ateneo’s lead to six, 59-65, with 7:24 remaining. However, the Blue Eagles refused to crumble, as virtually every UE basket was answered on the other end.
With exactly five minutes to go, and following an emphatic Mammie slam, a familiar veteran known for hitting timely treys stepped up for the Blue Eagles. Ryan Buenafe squared up from the wing, and sank a crucial three-pointer that put Ateneo back up by eight, 70-62. Ravena then added two more points to take the Blue Eagles’ advantage to double-digits.
The Red Warriors refused to be blown out, though, going on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to just three, 69-72, with two minutes still left in the game. Ravena, however, answered the call in the clutch once again, going strong to the basket off a nice pass from Newsome to put Ateneo up five, 74-69, with just over a minute to go.
The subsequent possession would see Roi Sumang go down hard, seemingly reinjuring his bandaged knee, which left him on the sidelines. JR Sumido handed UE a lifeline, though, cutting Ateneo’s lead to three once again, 71-74. UE’s efforts, however, would ultimately fall short as free throws from Newsome and Ravena eventually sealed the game’s fate at 77-72.
Ravena got enough support from his teammates, most notably from Newsome who had a significant output with 19 points and eight rebounds.
With the win, the Blue Eagles effectively ended UE’s hopes of making it to the Final Four this season. The Blue and White are now tied with University of Santo Tomas (UST) at fourth, with a 7-5 win-loss record.
“We need to focus on our next opponent, which is NU (National University),” commented Assistant Coach Sandy Arespacochaga about the tie. “That’s going to be our main focus.”
With the victory, the Blue Eagles’ fate remains in their hands. In order to ensure another Final Four appearance, the squad will need to come out on top in their final two assignments against NU and UST. The Blue Eagles will attempt to do just that starting on Wednesday, September 11, at the SM MOA Arena against league leaders, the NU Bulldogs.
Box scores:
ATENEO 77– Ravena 22, Newsome 19, Buenafe 9, Elorde 7, Tiongson 6, Erram, Pessumal 5, Golla 4, Enriquez 0, Tolentino 0.
UE 72 – Sumang 27, Mammie 11, Jumao-as 10, Alberto 10, Noble 5, Santos 4, Hernandez 2, Sumido 2, Javier 1, Casajeros 0, Flores 0, Olayon 0, Pujante 0.
