THE ATENEO Blue Eagles limited the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons to a season low in points as they cruised to a 71-59 win to open their second round campaign in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Men’s Basketball tournament.
The win propels Ateneo to an 8-0 record, a full two games ahead of second place De La Salle University. The Soaring Falcons fall to a 5-3 record, but stay at solo third seed despite the loss.
Thirdy Ravena was the only player in double figures for the Blue Eagles, dropping 15 points while also grabbing nine rebounds. The rest of the scoring load was split amongst 14 players, with Vince Tolentino and Isaac Go each scoring eight points, and Chibueze Ikeh and Aaron Black chipping in seven markers apiece.
Papi Sarr, who was missing in the first meeting between these two teams, made his presence felt in the contest with 15 points and nine caroms. Former Blue Eagle Jerie Pingoy added nine points for Adamson, while the Soaring Falcons’ leading scorer Jerrick Ahanmisi was limited to just six markers on six attempts from the floor.
The Blue Eagles had trouble finding the bottom of the net in the opening minutes. They missed their first seven shots before Ravena’s and-one make, which finally broke the scoreless drought. The forward later dunked the ball off Matt Nieto’s assist that gave Ateneo their first lead (7-6) of the match. The Blue Eagles missed plenty of easy opportunities throughout the first, but ended the period with a six-point lead (16-10) despite this.
Three minutes into the second, Go drained a triple that gave the Blue and White their first double-digit lead (23-13). The Soaring Falcons struggled to score early in the period, though they cut their deficit back to single digits from Sarr’s inside bucket. The defenses of both squads tightened up in the second, as Ateneo and Adamson shot 30% and 27%, respectively. The two teams traded baskets as the quarter progressed to cap the grind-out second period.
The second half featured more compelling action right out of the gate. Ikeh drained his third triple of the season, which gave Ateneo an eight-point advantage (36-28). Towards the end of the third, Ateneo went on a 10-1 run, highlighted by back-to-back triples from Ravena and Go. The scoring stretch gave the Blue Eagles a 17-point cushion (51-34).
Ateneo continued to lock down on defense during the final period, leading to a Jolo Mendoza triple early in the fourth, which sparked a 9-2 run to widen the gap to a 20-point deficit—their largest of the game. The run sealed the 71-59 victory for Ateneo.
After the match, Assistant Coach Sandy Arescapochaga mentioned that their second-half run gave them the edge. “It was a defensive game. Adamson is a very good defensive team,” he said. “The 23 points we scored in the third quarter was pivotal. It gave us the cushion that we needed. We made sure that our defense did not let us down.”
The Blue Eagles’ next match will be against the National University (NU) Bulldogs (3-5) on October 18, Wednesday, 4:00 PM, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-Adamson: 16-10, 31-24, 54-41, 71-59
Box Scores:
Ateneo (71): Ravena – 15, Tolentino – 8, Go – 8, Ikeh – 7, Black – 7, Mi. Nieto – 6, Asistio – 4, Verano – 3, Tio – 3, Mendoza – 3, Andrade – 3, Ma. Nieto – 2, Porter – 2
Adamson (59): Sarr – 15, Pingoy – 9, Ahanmisi – 6, Hill – 6, Espeleta – 5, Mustre – 5, Manganti – 4, Camacho – 2, Lojera – 2, Ochea – 2, Manalang – 1
