AFTER LEADING for majority of the contest, the Ateneo Lady Eagles snapped their six-game losing streak in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Women’s Basketball Tournament, shutting down the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons, 63-51, in the Battle of Katipunan on Sunday, October 21, at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

Cara Buendia proved to be a handful for the Lady Maroons as she recorded a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds without committing a single turnover to lead the Lady Eagles. Jollina Go had a solid outing, tallying 13 points together with three rebounds and two steals. Starting forward, Katrina Guytingco, was everywhere on the floor for Ateneo as she put up 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

On the other hand, Danielle De Guzman led the scoring chart for the Lady Maroons with 11 points, nine of which came from free throws, to go with 10 boards. Lourdes Ordoveza chipped in nine points and two rebounds, while both Gene Amar and Noella Cruz added eight points apiece with the former also posting five rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

It was a lightning start for the Lady Eagles as they jumped to an early 15-2 lead thanks to Buendia and Guytingco, who combined for 10 unanswered points. Shortly after, Cruz got UP going on offense, answering with a 5-0 run to cut Ateneo’s lead to 15-7. However, the Blue and White would again stomp their footing in the game to end the first quarter ahead by 13, 21-8.

Both sides began the second period well offensively, exchanging mini-runs to help their individual causes. Ateneo was able to extend the lead to 17 with Go’s outlet pass to Guytingco for the fastbreak layup, 29-12. The Lady Maroons answered right back with a 7-2 run to trim their deficit to 12, 31-19. Both teams then traded baskets to end the first half with Ateneo ahead by 14, 37-23.

After the break, the Blue and White’s three-point shooting played a huge hole in maintaining their advantage. Back-to-back triples from Go and Alyssa Villamor saw the Lady Eagles go up by 20, 45-25. The Lady Maroons looked to build momentum after Amar scored four straight markers but Go’s triple would halt any sort of fightback, giving the Ateneo a 52-34 advantage heading into the final frame.

The beginning of the fourth quarter was highlighted by Joanne Nimes’ crossover to beat her defender for the layup. Throughout the rest of the period, the Lady Eagles committed numerous fouls, sending UP to the free throw line. The Lady Maroons took advantage of it, scoring 12 of their 17 points in the frame from the stripe. It would only be a consolation, however, as Ateneo would hold on and take the win, 63-51.

After the game, Ateneo Head Coach John Flores hailed the team’s ability to limit their turnover numbers in the second round, having conceded 12 and 16 of them against the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws and the UP Lady Maroons, respectively.

“We’re just more focused now [in the second round] compared to the first round. I think the sense of urgency has already set in,” Flores said.

The Ateneo Lady Eagles (3-6) will resume their UAAP Season 81 campaign at 11:00 AM on Saturday, October 27, against the University of the East Lady Warriors at the same venue.

Quarter Scores:

Ateneo-UP: 21-8, 37-23, 52-34, 63-51

Box Score:

Ateneo (63): Buendia 14, Go 13, Guytingco 12, Nimes 8, Joson 4, Villamor 3, Gino-Gino 3, Chu 2, Payac 2, De Dios 2, Newsome 0, Cancio 0, Quirante 0, Moslares 0, Aquisap 0, Miranda 0

UP (51): De Guzman 11, Ordoveza 9, Amar 8, Cruz 8, Rodas, 4, Gonzales 3, Bascon 2, Medina 2, De Leon 2, Moa 2, Ferrer 0, Hidalgo 0, Larrosa 0, Rivera 0