DESPITE A valiant fourth quarter effort, the Ateneo Lady Eagles fell just short at the match’s conclusion, losing to the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, 53-70, on Saturday, September 30 at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The loss drops Ateneo to a 2-4 win-loss slate, while the Lady Bulldogs remain on top with a 6-0 record.
The Lady Eagles were bannered by Tina Deacon, who led all scorers with 19 points and ten boards. Trina Guytingco chipped in with an all-around line of eight points, six boards, five dimes, and three steals, while Melissa Newsome scored six and tallied seven rebounds.
Jack Animam powered NU with a devastating double-double of 15 points and 18 rebounds. Ria Nabalan contributed 12 points on 6/16 shooting from the floor, while center Rhena Itesi added a double-double of her own with ten points and 14 rebounds, half of which were off the offensive glass.
After a back-and-forth start, the Lady Bulldogs gained an early ten-point lead (8-18) after Animam scored off an offensive board. The Lady Eagles cut the deficit to four (14-18) towards the end of the first period, with Deacon knocking in consecutive triples to curb NU’s momentum.
The Lady Bulldogs amped up their defensive intensity in the ensuing period. The team embarked on a 13-0 run to begin the second quarter, with Animam’s presence inside proving too much for the Katipunan-based squad. The Lady Eagles finally ended their five-minute scoreless stretch with a Guytingco jumper midway through the period. Itesi and Denise Morelos traded baskets to conclude the first half, with NU up by 19 (19-38).
NU stretched the lead to a game-high 24-point gap after Trixie Antiquiera drained a corner three at the opening of the third. NU maintained a sizeable lead as the game progressed, until the Lady Eagles rallied for a comeback late in the game. The Lady Eagles responded with their own 11-2 run midway the fourth period, sparked by back-to-back baskets by Deacon.
The run cut NU’s lead to ten points (50-60) with about four minutes remaining on the clock, but the Lady Bulldogs extinguished any hope for a comeback as time winded down. NU battered Ateneo with a final 10-3 run to end the game, holding on to their spotless record this season.
After the game, the Lady Eagles’ head coach John Flores talked about how the team needed consistency throughout the match. “We shouldn’t be relying on those spurts,” he said of the Lady Eagles’ late comeback attempt. “It should be a consistent effort throughout the game. We had a gameplan and when it was executed, we were able to score. It was the little things than burned us.”
The Lady Eagles hope to end their winless drought in their final match of the first round. They will face the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers (1-5), on Wednesday, October 4 at 2:00PM at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
Quarter Scores
Ateneo-NU: 14-20, 19-38, 35-51, 53-70
Box Scores
Ateneo (53): Deacon – 19, Guytingco – 8, Go – 7, Newsome – 6, Joson – 5, Yam – 4, Buendia – 2, Morelos – 2
NU (70): Animam – 15, Nabalan – 12, Itesi – 10, Camelo – 10, Antiquera – 9, Ano-os – 8, Sison – 4, Cacho – 2
