THE ATENEO Lady Eagles were handed their first loss in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Women’s Basketball Tournament by the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, 64-90, at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, September 22.
Jhazmin Joson led the Lady Eagles’ offense with 14 points, three assists and four rebounds. Jollina Go chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and four steals, while Melissa Newsome had 10 markers to go along with seven rebounds.
On the winning side, Jack Animam topscored for the Lady Bulldogs with a 20-point outburst, coupled with eight rebounds. Ria Nabalan helped out with 14 markers and five rebounds, while Rhena Itesi and Monique Del Carmen scored 12 and 10 points respectively.
Both teams managed quick baskets in the opening minutes of the first quarter to level the game at 9-9. The Lady Eagles took mostly perimeter and three-point shots while NU pounded the ball inside, passing to Animam who had excellent seal position. However, Ateneo got into a slump on offense midway through the quarter, allowing NU to build a 9-22 lead going into the second period.
[First Quarter]
Corner shot from Guytingco is in!
Ateneo 2 NU 3#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/YNyTnjxOHP
— Nielbert A. Dy (@Bert_TheGUIDON) September 22, 2018
[First Quarter]
Good seal for Jack Aminam leads to an inside basket. Joson answers with a pull up jumper.
Ateneo 7 NU 6#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/YXbKeNWOOj
— Nielbert A. Dy (@Bert_TheGUIDON) September 22, 2018
[First Quarter]
Another shot from Joson is good!
Ateneo 9 NU 9#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/uw867vtaZx
— Nielbert A. Dy (@Bert_TheGUIDON) September 22, 2018
The Lady Bulldogs employed full-court man-to-man pressure to start the second frame which caught the Blue and White off guard. Kat Guytingco’s perimeter shot sparked an Ateneo 9-3 run to cut their opponents lead into single digits, 23-32. But NU was able to weather the storm and retake a double-digit lead through Animam late in the second quarter, 32-46.
[Second Quarter]
Guytingco picks up the the loose ball and drills an open jumper!
Ateneo 16 NU 32#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/sie0Bylqt8
— Nielbert A. Dy (@Bert_TheGUIDON) September 22, 2018
[Second Quarter]
Animam gets the ball in the post and spins around to get the basket to go and a foul! Free throw is good!
Ateneo 26 NU 40#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/nKdaN3I3qI
— Nielbert A. Dy (@Bert_TheGUIDON) September 22, 2018
[Second Quarter]
Animam gets the ball in the post and spins around to get the basket to go and a foul! Free throw is good!
Ateneo 26 NU 40#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/nKdaN3I3qI
— Nielbert A. Dy (@Bert_TheGUIDON) September 22, 2018
After halftime, the Lady Bulldogs came out of the locker room looking like a different beast on the court. They hounded the Ateneo guards, forcing them into committing multiple turnovers, and dominating the paint to garner a 36-68 lead. The Katipunan-based side was slow to react to NU’s intensity and was ultimately, held to just eight points in the quarter, 40-69.
[Third Quarter]
Cacho with the offensive board and gets the shot to go!
Ateneo 36 NU 68#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/J9uYuSZe8Z
— Nielbert A. Dy (@Bert_TheGUIDON) September 22, 2018
A reinvigorated Ateneo side got off to a 7-0 start in the final frame, with Go leading the way for the Blue and White as the team’s main scorer. However, the Lady Bulldogs maintained their relentless defensive pressure to force the Ateneo guards into committing multiple turnovers. In the latter half of the quarter, the Lady Eagles looked for more inside points to trim the lead but NU settled with trading baskets on the other end to finish the game, 64-90.
[Fourth Quarter]
A shifty move from Go beats Animam for the floater!
Ateneo 49 NU 73#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/uR3nZ1oprQ
— Nielbert A. Dy (@Bert_TheGUIDON) September 22, 2018
[Fourth Quarter]
A pick and roll allows Go to find a cutting Newsome for the bucket inside!
Ateneo 45 NU 69#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/NCRprh7VCD
— Nielbert A. Dy (@Bert_TheGUIDON) September 22, 2018
[Fourth Quarter]
Full court pressure from NU forces an Ateneo turnover and results in an open layup.
Ateneo 52 NU 85#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/2qloA7JyM8
— Nielbert A. Dy (@Bert_TheGUIDON) September 22, 2018
Go noted that the presence of the NU twin towers, Animam and Itesi, played a key part, especially when they were on the floor together in the second half. She added, “Yung guards nila tall din and fast so medyo undersized talaga team namin and nahirapan kami in attempting sa three points.”
(Their guards are tall and fast too, so the team was really undersized, and we had a hard time attempting to shoot three-pointers.)
The Lady Eagles will take on the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws in their fourth game of the season on Wednesday, September 26, 8AM at the Blue Eagle Gym.
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-NU: 9-22, 32-46, 40-69, 64-90
Box Scores:
Ateneo (64): Joson 14, Go 12, Newsome 10, Buendia 8, Nimes 8, Villamor 6, Guytingco 6, Cancio 0, De Dios 0, Gino-Gino 0, Moslares 0, Chu 0
NU (90): Animam 20, Nabalan 14, Itesi 12, Del Carmen 10, Harada 8, Fabruada 7, Pingol 4, Camelo 4, Cacho 4, Ceno 3, Canuto 2, Cac 2, Bartolo 0, Goto 0, Layug 0
