AFTER A lackluster opening two games in the Filoil Premier Preseason Cup, the Ateneo Blue Eagles finally managed to scrape a win in the exhibition tournament, taking down the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) at an 89-72 finish on Friday, May 5 at the Filoil Flying V Arena.
Pitted against their competitors in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, Ateneo dominated the court with greater consistency in their offensive game, taking down the Growling Tigers with superior shooting to tally their first victory in the competition.
The proof was in the numbers as the Blue Eagles shot 34 of 67 from the field, led by sophomore Mike Nieto who contributed another stellar performance with 15 points and two rebounds, while center Isaac Go remained the only other Blue Eagle to put in double digits, nabbing 10 points and 4 boards. In comparison, UST racked up 39% field goal percentage, with Jeepy Faundo and Jordan Sta. Ana combining for 21 of the team’s 72 points.
Ateneo built the intensity at the get-go, turning up the heat on offense to gain the edge over the Growling Tigers early on with a 15-point lead in the first quarter. Point guard Anton Asistio pulled the strings while rookie forward Raffy Verano showed confidence in the paint, pushing the momentum in the Blue Eagles’ favor to end the period at 29-14.
The depth of the Blue Eagles’ yielded positive results in the second quarter, with variations of Ateneo’s five on the court displaying much offensive prowess. Jawuan White and Shaun Ildefonso played quality minutes to further batter UST from inside the paint, while near perfect shooting from guard Dan Wong added to a widening deficit to conclude the first half at 45-28.
Shots continued to fall for Ateneo in the third, with the squad’s long distance shooting punishing UST from beyond the arc. Early triples from Asistio, Go and White fueled the Blue Eagles’ offensive fire with nine points, while a high-energy performance from forward Thirdy Ravena exploited lapses in the Growling Tigers’ defense. The Blue Eagles managed to extend their advantage to a 23-point gap, but last minute shots from UST would eventually bring the score to 66-48 at the end of the quarter, keeping the Blue Eagles up by 18 points.
The Nieto brothers made an impact in the fourth quarter, with both guards leading the charge on the fast break to maintain the lead. However, down by double-digits, the Growling Tigers were unable to close down the scoreline, and a triple by Kris Porter eventually the sealed the deal in the last few seconds of the match, giving the game to Ateneo at 89-72.
The victory puts the Blue Eagles at a 1-2 win loss ratio, and the team next faces Colegio de San Juan de Letran on Sunday, May 7 at the Filoil Flying V Arena.
Quarter scores: 29-14, 45-28, 66-48, 89-72
Box scores:
Ateneo: Mike Nieto – 15, Go -10, Ikeh – 9, Asistio – 9, White – 9, Matt Nieto – 7, Verano – 6, Wong – 6, Ravena – 5, Tio – 5, Wong – 3, Porter – 3, Tolentino -3, Black – 2, Mendoza – 0, Mamuyac – 0, Ildefonso – 0
UST: Sta. Ana – 11, Faundo – 10, Akomo – 9, Lee – 9, Escalamabre – 7, Afoakwah – 7, De Guzman – 6, Garcia – 5, Garrido – 4, Macasaet – 3, Huang – 1, Basibas – 1, Caunan – 1, Romero – 0, Soriano – 0
After a lackluster opening two games in the Filoil Premier Preseason Cup, the Ateneo Blue Eagles finally managed to scrapea win in the exhibition tournament, taking down the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) at an 89-72 finish on Friday, May 5 at the Filoil Flying V Arena.
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