FRESH OFF from a win in their opening match against hosts University of Sto. Tomas (UST), the Ateneo Blue Eagles were handed their first defeat of the season, falling to the National University (NU) Bulldogs on Sunday, September 11 at the SMART Araneta Center.

Having lost several key veterans to graduation, the two squads stepped onto the court on similar footing, seeking to rebuild going into the season. Sophomore guard Mike Nieto drew first blood for the Blue Eagles, scoring nine of Ateneo’s 20 points in the first quarter to fuel the team’s offensive fire. Nieto would finish the game leading in statistics, eventually racking up 14 markers and 9 boards at the final buzzer. The Bulldogs, however, shut the Blue Eagles down with their full court press, forcing turnovers to go on a 6-0 run, which locked the match at (20-20) at the end of the first period.

Further defensive pressure characterized the second quarter, tightening the deadlock before halftime. Junior Isaac Go put on a show in the paint, acting as a roadblock on the Bulldogs’ path to the basket to stave off incoming attacks. Go tallied five blocks, making three in one possession to punish the Bulldogs with a crucial shot-clock violation, then pulling up for his lone jump shot of the match. Back-and-forth shooting fueled the stalemate entering half-time, as the second quarter ended again in a tie at (32-32).

The Bulldogs then found their mark in the third, exploiting lapses in the Ateneo defense to gain the edge and outscoring their opponents at 20-9. Early into the period, Matt Salem knocked in two consecutive triples to fuel a 12-0 run that left the Blue Eagles trailing by their farthest in the match at (37-51). The Katipunan-based squad, however, had the final say as the quarter winded down, with rookie Raffy Verano nailing a jumper and guard Anton Asistio converting a gutsy drive to cut the deficit to (41-52).

Presented with their last chance to save the game, the Blue Eagles staged a comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, managing to come within striking distance of the Bulldogs but ultimately failing to pull ahead. Adrian Wong gave the Blue Eagles a breath of life with an early triple and a bucket off the glass to reduce NU’s lead to (46-54). Asistio then closed the gap, slicing through the Bulldogs’ defense for a foul shot and an assist to Chibueze Ikeh, bringing the Blue Eagles within range at (56-61).

With their lead diminished to a 5-point edge near the 2-minute mark, NU changed the pace in heir favor late in the quarter, restoring a double-digit advantage from which the Blue Eagles could not recover. After leading scorer Jess Diputado produced a 10-point deficit, veteran center Alfred Aroga silenced the Anton Asistio’s attack with a crucial block on the fast-break, giving the ball back to Bulldogs to send Reggie Morido to the free throw line.

Morido sunk one of two charities, and failure to convert on Ateneo’s end of the court gifted Rodolfo Alejandro with the opportunity to score, setting the Blue Eagles back by 13 points with 55.9 seconds left on the clock. With time against them, Ateneo fought hard for the last time as Mike Nieto knocked in his final basket from the three-point line, reducing the Bulldogs’ lead to 10 points with 51.2 seconds left in the quarter. The triple, however, would be the last shot of the game, as NU held off the Blue Eagles as the clock winded down, handing Ateneo their first loss of the season.

Quarter scores: 20-20, 32-32, 41-52, 60-70

Box Scores:

Ateneo: Mike Nieto- 14, – 9, Asistio- 8, Ikeh- 8, Matt Nieto- 7, Babilonia- 4, Black- 4, Ravena- 2, Go- 2, Verano- 2

NU: J. Diputado- 16, Salem- 12, Aroga- 11, Morido- 10, Alejandro- 8, Salim- 4, M. Diputado- 4, Rangel- 2, Gallego- 2, Pate- 1