THE ATENEO Lady Eagles were unable to control the glass in the second half of the game as they fell to the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws, 58-64, to register their first loss in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80.
Hazelle Yam still had a marvelous game of 20 points on 7 of 10 from the field, along with three three-pointers, six rebounds, and four assists. Center Tina Deacon chipped in with 11 points on three triples of her own, while Katrina Guytingco added 10 markers and nine boards.
Valerie Mamaril had 16 points and nine rebounds to lead FEU to the win. Precious Arellado and Camille Taguiam both came off the bench to spark the Lady Tamaraws as they combined for 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Much like in the previous games, the Lady Eagles began the game strong. Deacon scored the first five points with a triple and a bucket inside, followed by Yam who converted a layup. Ateneo continued to pour in the points, with their lead stretching to 12 (19-7) midway through the first frame after a Cara Buendia free throw. Mamaril drained a triple towards the end of the quarter to bring back the scoreline to single digits.
The Lady Tamaraws gained control of the game in the second quarter. After both teams traded baskets to begin the period, free throws and a triple by Arellado ignited a 15-5 run for the Lady Tamaraws. The relentless FEU attack tied the game 30-all, but Yam’s triple before the buzzer sounded gave Ateneo a three-point cushion heading into halftime.
The third period started with back-and-forth action from both sides. FEU gained their first lead of the match midway through the period (35-36). Ateneo struggled to get in rhythm and were outscored 13-6 in the quarter. A well-executed baseline pindown play for Taguiam at the end of the quarter gave the Lady Tamaraws a four-point lead (39-43).
Yam began the final period with a triple, which cut the deficit to single digits (42-43). However, FEU continued to do damage on the offensive glass, which kept their counterparts at bay. The Lady Eagles regained the lead (50-47) midway through the period after Jollina Go banked in a triple. This lead was quickly lost as Taguiam went on a solo 5-0 run to give her team the lead. Deacon responded with a triple in the ensuing possession, but Princess Jumuad hit a jumper to return the lead to FEU. From that point on, the Lady Tamaraws never looked back and held on to win (64-58).
“We need to be composed all game long; we need to stay [focused] all game long,” said Ateneo head coach John Flores on his team’s first loss.
The Lady Eagles will have a chance to recover from this defeat in their game against the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors on Sunday, 8:00 AM at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Quarter Scores
Ateneo-FEU: 21-14, 33-30, 39-43, 58-64
Box Scores
Ateneo (58): Yam – 20, Deacon – 11, Guytingco – 10, Buendia – 6, Go – 4, Joson – 4, Newsome – 3
FEU (64): Mamaril – 16, Arellado – 15, Taguiam – 11, Jumuad – 7, Gerner – 5, Quiapo – 3, Antiola – 3, Bastatas – 2, Balleser – 2
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