AFTER ANOTHER slow start, Team Glory Be of the Ateneo Men’s Basketball team used its tenacious defense and impressive outside shooting to frustrate the San Sebastian College-Recoletos Golden Stags-B to get back on a winning note in the Got Skills Elite Showcase tournament with a 85-48 victory last August 9 at the Philadelphia High School gymnasium in Talayan Village, Quezon City.

The game started as a back-and-forth affair as both teams tried to establish their rhythm both on ends of the floor. The Blue Eagles initially struggled to score off their execution and often relied on the one-on-one brilliance of CJ Perez to build a small lead early in the game.

Perez, a transferee from the main National Collegiate Athletic Association team of the Golden Stags, once again steered the Blue and White to victory. He led three players in double figures with a season-high 28 points to go along with five assists and four steals, both of which were also team-highs.

When the Golden Stags elected to use the 2-3 zone to defend Perez’s penetration, it was Ateneo’s potent outside shooting and great passing which opened the floodgates early in the third quarter. The team made 12 out of 27 three-pointers—five from Dan Wong—while achieving a season-high 21 assists and committing just 13 turnovers to seal the game.

The team also buckled down defensively as they forced the Golden Stags to 26 turnovers, all while every player fielded in by Head Coach Yuri Escueta scoring at least two points each.

With this win, the team improves its record to 3-1 after dropping their last game to National University.

ATENEO 85: Perez 28, Wong 17, Banzon 11, Salandanan 6, Micek 5, M. Ramos 3, Asuncion 3, Javelosa 2, Gamboa 2, Cu 2, Calilung 2, T. Ramos 2, Cariño 2.