THE HIGHLY touted matchup between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the defending NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) champions, the San Beda University (SBU) Red Lions, ended in an exciting fashion with the Katipunan-based squad holding on to win, 69-68, in the 2018 FilOil Flying V Premier Cup. The match was played on Friday, April 27 at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
With the victory, the Blue Eagles now hold a record of 2-0 in Group A of the tournament.
Isaac Go led with 14 markers, five rebounds and two assists while rookie big man Angelo Kouame put up a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds off of 4/8 shooting. Thirdy Ravena ended the game with an efficient nine points and 10 rebounds.
The Red Lions were without powerhouse Robert Bolick due to a knee injury, but NCAA 93 Finals Most Valuable Player Donald Tankoua more than sufficed with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Javee Mocon top scored 17 points and 6 rebounds as he spelled trouble for Ateneo the whole game.
Both teams engaged in a defensive battle early in the match. After a triple by Anton Asistio in the opening seconds of the game, Ateneo was only able to score eight more points in the entire first quarter. Following one quarter of action, both teams found themselves in a deadlock at 11-all.
Ateneo’s offensive woes continued in the first three minutes of the second quarter until a shot from Mike Nieto cut the dry spell at 13-15. The favor was soon returned by Javee Mocon to leave Ateneo wanting at 13-17. After a few run and gun plays, Ateneo rookie Jason Credo put up back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to tie both teams at 26. With the quarter ending on heroics by Ravena, Ateneo led San Beda at the half, 29-28.
Go started the third period strongly with back to back shots inside the paint. After shaking off a technical for faking a foul a second time, he put up a three with the dish from Gian Mamuyac to tie the game at 38 and then went on to drill in four more markers in the remainder of the third. Rookies Kouame and William Navarro then combined for eight points as the quarter ended with Ateneo in the lead with the team scored a whopping 23 points by the end of the third (52- 48).
Up by only four points entering the deciding quarter, Ateneo employed a fairly new lineup with rookies as Kouame, Navarro, and SJ Belangel alongside veterans Mike Nieto and Asistio. Mike Nieto was able to keep the Eagles afloat as he was able to set plays and create shots for himself as well.
[Fourth Quarter]
Nieto finds Kouame for the alley-oop tip-in!
Ateneo 58 SBU 57#FilOil2018 pic.twitter.com/YyjcMOvtzi
— Gio P. Guinto (@Gio_TheGUIDON) April 27, 2018
After a reverse layup from Mike Nieto, and a spot-up three from his brother Matt Nieto, the Blue Eagles appeared set to take the game at, 65-57. However, the NCAA champions were unfazed by the late game situation, scoring five straight points with under a minute to go, 65-62. Ateneo was quick to retaliate with a smart play orchestrated by Matt Nieto.
[Fourth Quarter]
Nieto dishes the ball inside to Kouame, who scores inside! 40.7 seconds left in the game.
Ateneo 67 SBU 62#FilOil2018 pic.twitter.com/LaYTS13qXB
— Gio P. Guinto (@Gio_TheGUIDON) April 27, 2018
After a quick San Beda basket, a duty foul by the Red Lions sent Matt Nieto to the line, who collected insurance baskets for the Blue and White at 69-64. With 15.8 seconds left in the game, San Beda sharpshooter AC Soberano drilled a clutch three-pointer from the inbound play with 10 seconds left. An end-game turnover by Ateneo allowed Soberano to draw the foul. However, he failed to tie the game as he split his crucial free throws (69-68). As Kouame attempted to secure the defensive possession, the ball found its way to Mamuyac, which he heaved away to end the game.
After the game, Ateneo Head Coach Tab Baldwin brought to light distractions that hindered the team early in the game. “I felt in the first quarter that we were very selfish and I really have low tolerance for that. I hate to say it but I think we’re affected by the TV cameras when we shouldn’t be,” he said. “It’s really against the grain of what we preach [and] what our philosophy is.”
Ateneo will next face the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons on Sunday, April 29 at 4:30pm in the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-San Beda: 11-11, 29-28, 52-48, 69-68
Box scores: Go – 14, Kouame – 12, Ravena – 9, Nieto M. – 8, Nieto J. – 7, Navarro – 6, Credo – 6, Asistio – 3, Mamuyac – 2, Maagdenberg – 2, Belangel – 0, Malilin – 0.
Mocon – 17, Tankoua – 13, Soberano – 7, Doliguez – 6, Nelle – 4, Oftana – 4, Eugene – 4, Cuntapay – 4, Bahio – 4, Cariño – 3, Canlas – 2, Tongco – 0, Abadeza – 0, Cabanag – 0, Mocon – 0.
