FACING FELLOW University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) competitors in their second match of the Filoil Premier Preseason Cup, the Blue Eagles tallied their second straight loss against the University of the East (UE) in a tightly contested back-and-forth duel on the court on Wednesday, May 3 at the FilOil Flying V Arena. The Red Warriors stole the show with unrelenting defense, wearing down the Blue Eagles with a suffocating full court pressure to end the game at 71-72.
Sophomore Mike Nieto topped the stats with 15 points and 8 boards for the Blue Eagles, while UE forward Alvin Pasaol led his team to victory with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Composure on the ball, however, was the deciding factor in the game, as Ateneo collected a crucial 24 turnovers against the Red Warriors, who racked up 15 of their own.
Ateneo opened the match with a display of confidence and rhythm in their offensive chemistry, leading by as much as nine points in the first quarter. With rookie Tyler Tio taking on the role of floor general in the starting five, the Blue Eagles dominated the scoreboard with superior shooting, managing hold the Red Warriors back at 18-13 by the end of the first period.
UE turned the tables in the second quarter and came alive to take control of the game with a total defensive comeback. Utilizing a full court press to dismantle the Ateneo offense, the Red Warriors stayed hot on their opponents’ heels and forced turnover after turnover to gradually close down the deficit. Pasaol took charge of converting Ateneo’s offensive mishaps into points, as UE went ahead at 23-28 with 4:30 left in the quarter. A jumper by Jolo Mendoza and a timely triple from Dan Wong then gave the lead back to Ateneo to put the Blue Eagles up at 32-31, but foul trouble ultimately gave UE the final word at the half as the Red Warriors took advantage of free throws and a last second bucket to end the second quarter up at 32-37.
Back and forth action knotted the game in a heated deadlock in the third period, as both squads struggled to move ahead in the second half. Center Chibueze Ikeh contributed valuable points early in the quarter, converting a three-point play and successive drive through the paint to restore the tie at 45-45. Thirdy Ravena and Shaun Ildefonso then combined for much needed markers on consecutive fast breaks to shorten the gap to 48-49. Losing their edge, the Red Warriors held on for dear life, as Carlos Mullar and Mark Molales managed to secure a 53-51 scoreline for UE entering the final period.
The Blue Eagles made a statement to kickstart the fourth quarter, immediately sealing the lead off an early triple from Matt Nieto that brought the score to 54-53. With the momentum swinging in their favor, Jawuan White breathed new life into the Ateneo side, nailing the bang and the bucket for a foul shot that made it a 57-55 game. White followed up in the next possession with an offensive board and a putback, lifting the Blue Eagles up to a 59-55 advantage.
Maloles and Pasaol continued to carry the Red Warriors on their shoulders for much of UE’s scoring as the clock winded down, but full court pressure from Ateneo allowed Ravena and Mike Nieto make two consecutive defensive stops and retain the lead at 66-64. Pasaol, however, took on Gian Mamuyac on a costly fast break and drew a foul from the rookie to win a bonus free throw that put UE up at 66-68.
Foul trouble from the Red Warriors then sent Ikeh to the foul line with 1:18 left on the clock, and the center sunk one of two charities to leave Ateneo trailing at 69-70. A possession change then resulted in a scramble for the ball beneath the UE basket, as Verano then grabbed the offensive rebound and made the bucket off the glass to put the Blue Eagles up and send the bench into a frenzy with 49.5s left in the game.
Maloles, however, ended the match on UE’s terms, slicing through Ateneo’s zone with a layup that sealed the deal for the Red Warriors at 71-72. In need of a basket to take the win with the clock reading 36.4s, the Blue Eagles attempted a final attack from the paint in the last possession, but a jumper from Tio and the putback from Ikeh failed to find the basket, giving UE the win in the dying seconds of the game.
Despite being winless so far in the tournament, head coach Tab Baldwin expressed confidence in his squad’s process of rebuilding, sharing that the Blue Eagles remain on the path to perfecting their cohesion on the court.
“Our defense was better today than it was against Lyceum, but we haven’t put all the pieces together to playing winning basketball, and that’s okay,” says Baldwin, “That’s the job we have do going forward, building the pieces and then putting them all together.”
The Ateneo Blue Eagles move on to a 0-2 win-loss record in the tournament and next play the University of Sto. Tomas on Friday, May 5, 5PM at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.
Quarter scores: 18-13, 32-37, 51-53, 71-72
Box scores:
Ateneo: Mike Nieto – 15, Ikeh – 8, Go – 6, Porter – 6, White – 5, Mendoza – 5, Tio – 4, Asistio – 4, Ravena – 3, Matt Nieto – 3, Wong – 3, Verano – 3, Ildefonso – 3, Tolentino – 2, Andrade – 1, Mamuyac – 0
UE: Pasaol – 23, Maloles – 13, Olayon – 8, Abanto – 6, Derige – 6, Conner – 4, Varilla – 3, Manalang – 2, Gagate – 2, Armenion – 2, Cullae – 2, Acuno – 1, Green – 0
