FRESH FROM the Ateneo-La Salle game victory, the Blue Eagles went back to work as they defeated the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons 86-75 on Wednesday, July 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Blue Eagles kicked off the opening quarter with an immediate 8-3 advantage care of triples from starting forwards Chris Newsome and Arvin Tolentino. UP, however, answered back and remained relentless throughout the quarter, as they garnered a 17-12 lead due to their precise shooting. Moriah Gingerich led the Fighting Maroons in their opening quarter run as he notched seven quick points all from mid-range jump shots and a three point basket.
But the aggressiveness of Newsome when it came to drawing points from the foul line, and a second field goal from beyond the arc, gave the Blue Eagles a 23-21 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The second and third quarter featured Ateneo capitalizing on Tolentino’s all-around performance, coupled with a bench production from forward Gwyne Capacio. Ateneo managed to pile up their lead by 14, 63-49.
The Fighting Maroons retaliated with a late-game surge in the fourth quarter. Their crafty inside play and a Rey Gallarza transition triple brought UP within four, 71-67. But their efforts came up short as the Blue Eagles managed to stay calm due to the presence of Nico Elorde and Kiefer Ravena.
The composure of the two veterans helped the Blue Eagles pull away with strong drives to the hoop and an abudance of defensive stops—highlighted by a well-timed block by Elorde.
The Ateneo secured the win with the score of 86-75 and propelled them to first place with the 3-0 record in the elimination round standings.
Despite UP shooting 32/64 (50%) from the field compared to Ateneo’s 27/66, the Blue Eagles were able to outnumber the Maroons on the rebounds with a 42-32 advantage. Ateneo notably had 19 offensive rebounds compared to UP’s 11. Ateneo also managed to convert from the free throw line as they nailed 25 of their 29 attempts.
Tolentino once again stepped up for the Blue Eagles as he led all scorers with a 20-point outburst. He padded his statline with the additional eight rebounds and seven of 12 shooting from the field. Ravena finished with 19 points and added five rebounds with four assists. Newsome pulled off a double double afternoon as he added 18 markers and 12 rebounds for the Blue and White.
Their next game will be against National University, 4:00 PM, Saturday, July 26 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
THE SCORES
Ateneo – Tolentino 20, Ravena 19, Newsome 18, Capacio 9, Elorde 7, Pessumal 5, Babilonia 2, Gotladera 2, Javelosa 2, Lim 2
UP – Lao 16, Gallarza 10, Juruena 9, Gingerich 9, Asilum 9, Dario 6, Vito 6, Reyes 5, Moralde 5
