THE ATENEO Lady Eagles lost against the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors, 29-43, on Sunday, September 6 at the Blue Eagle Gym. This loss puts the Lady Eagles at 0-1 in the elimination round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

With both teams seeking to start the season strong, a tightly contested affair was to be expected. First game jitters seemed to affect players from both teams, as players were rushing possessions and taking shots early on in the shot clock. This anxiety from both sides led to an abundance of fruitless trips down the court, with shots constantly clanking off the rim. At the end of the first, it was still either team’s game; UE was ahead by only three points with the score at 8-5.

At this point, the key to this game looked to be settling down and adjusting its fast-paced nature. Unfortunately for the Lady Eagles, the UE Lady Warriors took control of the match and never looked behind. Aside from a 7-0 run in the middle of the third quarter, the home team barely threatened the Lady Warriors, who continued to pile on the pressure with their balanced offensive attack.

Turnovers and missed shots were common themes for the Blue and White. UE’s swarming zone defense flustered the Ateneo’s offense, which was stagnant and clumsy at times. The ball never rotated, as possessions usually ended with only one or two players touching the ball before a missed shot. Other times, lazy passes were thrown into the hands of the UE defenders who deftly converted on their end.

The usual contributors for the Lady Eagles had a rough game, as veterans Kai Javier and Danica Jose shot only a combined 1/13 in the contest. The lone bright spot in the game was Jolina Go, who led the Blue and White by making three shots from beyond the arc to finish the game with 14 points. Akiko Tomita followed Go’s offensive output with six points of her own.

Their next game will be against National University at 3:00PM, Sunday, September 13 at the Blue Eagle Gym.