THE ATENEO Blue Eagles set a team-high scoring output in today’s match, as they put up 90 points on the board to defeat the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 90-70, on October 24, Wednesday, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao City.

Today’s match saw five players scoring in double digits for the Blue and White, with Angelo Kouame topscoring with 18 points, Tyler Tio chipping with a career-high of 16 points, Raffy Verano with 14, and Thirdy Ravena and Jolo Mendoza with 10 markers apiece. The match also saw the team’s previous scoring-high of 89 points trumped, with today’s performance setting the new record.  

Kouame was his usual dominant self in today’s match, putting up a double-double of 18 points, 16 rebounds, while going 6/8 (75%) from the field, and 6/6 (100%) from the charity stripe. The Ivorian’s influence was also felt on both sides of the court—as he finished the game with a monstrous +/- of 31.

Tio also showed off his ability to take care of the ball, as he again finished the game with no turnovers—a record he has kept since his first start against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons two games ago.

Kouame began the first quarter on a strong start, grabbing a steal for a Tio lay-up and hitting two free throws to see Ateneo off to a 4-0 scoring run in the first minute and 30 seconds of play. However, a Leo Guion triple and an Alvin Pasaol four-point play would soon find the Red Warriors within one point of the Blue Eagles at the halfway mark of the quarter (9-8). Verano was hugely impressive this quarter, scoring 10 points and going 2/2 from downtown on an array of jump shots and drives to the basket. In the final stages of the quarter, Mendoza also showed his ability as a slasher, scoring four quick points on two penetration drives on the left flank to help see the Blue Eagles through the quarter up 29-15.

In the second quarter, the Red Warriors spiced it up on the defensive end as they switched to a 2-3 zone in hopes of limiting the Blue Eagles from getting shots inside the perimeter. Their decision however, would soon backfire as the Blue Eagles’ ball movement and in-and-out play freed up shooters for good looks at the basket. Two triples from Mendoza then prompted UE Head Coach Joe Silva to call a timeout with his team trailing by 19 at the 7:05 mark, 40-21. Kouame was again hugely impressive this quarter, making his presence felt in the post by grabbing rebounds and creating second chance points for himself and his teammates. By the quarter’s end, the big man found himself with a first-half double-double—scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to go along with an impressive +/- of 27.

The Ivorian big man also bolstered his stake as the league’s second-best rebounder by out-rebounding the entire UE team’s output of 11 rebounds by two. The Blue Eagles also dominated both ends of the floor this quarter—outscoring the Red Warriors 28-9 to enter halftime with a comfortable 33-point lead, 57-24.

Exiting halftime, Philip Manalang wasted no time to get things going for the Red Warriors, setting up teammates for good looks while putting up five points of his own in the first three minutes of play. The Red Warriors’ 13-3 scoring run prompted Ateneo to call a timeout just a minute later. Exiting the timeout, the Blue Eagles’ offense got back into their offensive gear as the Blue and White found good looks for its shooters. Gian Mamuyac scored all six of his points via an elbow triple and an and-one play off a penetration basket at the 1:25 mark. The Blue Eagles’ showings on offense were enough to see them through the quarter with a 22-point advantage, 73-51.

In the final quarter, a 9-4 UE scoring run forced Ateneo to call a timeout at the 5:52 mark, with Alvin Pasaol scoring six quick inside buckets in three consecutive possessions. Tyler Tio exploded to prevent the UE comeback by adding to his point tally via a pull-up jumper and lay-up late in the quarter. The Katipunan-based squad closed the match at 90-70.

After putting in a career-high performance, Tyler Tio spoke about his mindset for the game, saying, “I’m just trying to do my best to just do my part. I’m just trying to do what coach says [like] run plays, take care of the ball, and if the shot’s there, I’m gonna take it. Thankfully for this game, [my shots were going in].”

The Blue Eagles will be looking to further improve their 8-2 record against the National University (NU) Bulldogs on Saturday, 2PM, at the same venue.

Quarter Scores (Ateneo-UE): 29-15, 57-24, 73-51, 90-70

Box Scores:

Ateneo (90): Kouame – 18, Tio – 16, Verano – 14, Ravena – 10, Mendoza – 10, Mamuyac – 6, Belangel – 6, Navarro – 5, Black – 3, Daves – 2,

UE (70): Pasaol – 29, Manalang – 18, Varilla – 9, Cullar – 6, Bartolome – 4, Strait – 2, Guion – 1, Beltran – 1