Fresh from a win against archrivals the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers, last Sunday, the Ateneo Lady Eagles failed to repeat that result against powerhouse University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses, 50-67 in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, October 25, in the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
A 26-10 second quarter scoring outburst from UST defined the game with Golden Tigress Jem Angeles scoring 15 to single-handedly outscore the Lady Eagles in the second salvo. UST also held an advantage in offensive rebounds garnering a 22-10 advantage while also taking 30 more field goal attempts than the Blue and White.
The loss casts a shadow on Ateneo’s Final Four hopes as they fall two games behind fourth-seeded Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws (5-5).
Tina Deacon led the way for Ateneo with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Hazelle Yam and Trina Guytingco contributed 10 markers apiece shooting 63% and 60% from the field respectively in the losing cause.
UST’s Angeles, the league’s leading scorer, was on fire with 22 points and eight rebounds along with three triples to her name. Sai Laroso had a double-double with 15 markers and 13 boards, while Kikay Gandalla added 13 on a 71% shooting clip.
The Lady Eagles started strongly with a 4-0 run. However, turnovers along with good offensive execution from the Tigresses allowed UST to answer back with a 13-4 run. Ateneo trailed by six, 11-17, at the end of the first period.
The Growling Tigresses started waxing hot in the second period as they went on an 11-4 run led by Angeles who scored six during the scoring blitz. Guytingco would end the scoring drought for Ateneo with an and-one play, but Angeles would not be stopped as she hit three triples to cap off another big UST run, 13-2. The Lady Eagles would head into halftime trailing, 21-43.
The Lady Eagles looked to claw back with a 9-0 run to start the third quarter, which resulted from precise offensive execution. The two teams continued to trade baskets until Angeles found Laroso underneath the basket for an and-one play to start a 9-0 UST run that lasted until the end of the quarter (33-56).
The Lady Eagles seemed to find their stride in the final frame as they managed to outscore the Tigresses, 17-11. Yet, it was too late as the UST lead was simply too large to overcome. Guytingco sealed the score with a triple, 50-67.
Coming off a win against DLSU, Guytingco shared the team’s mindset going into this crucial game. “Basically the team’s mindset was to win this game. We just needed to follow the game plan, but obviously, we weren’t able to execute,” Guytingco mentioned.
Asked what the team can improve on going into the next game, Guytingco said, “We just need to stay calm, stay composed, and stay patient. We need to follow and execute the game plan.”
The Lady Eagles will face the undefeated National University Lady Bulldogs (10-0) at 10:00 AM on Saturday, October 28, in the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Quarter Scores
Ateneo-UST: 11-17, 21-43, 33-56, 50-67
Box Scores
Ateneo (50): Deacon – 12, Yam – 10, Guytingco – 10, Uy De Ong – 6, Go – 5, Joson – 3, Newsome – 2, Villamor – 2, Cancio – 0, Buendia – 0
UST (67): Angeles – 22, Larosa – 15, Gandalla – 13, Anies – 4, Aujero – 4, Rivera – 4, Jerez – 3, Portillo – 2, Capilit – 0, Isanan – 0, Magat – 0, Manuel – 0, Sanggalang – 0, Villar – 0
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