The Ateneo Lady Eagles exhibited their full offensive repertoire, balancing both their inside and outside scoring, as they triumphed over the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors, 69-63, to earn their fourth win in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Women’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday, October 27, at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

Ateneo sharpshooting duo, Jollina Go and Alyssa Villamor, combined for seven triples to torment the Lady Warriors’ defense. Go finished the game with 21 points, five rebounds, and two assists while Villamor had 12 points and three boards to go along with four assists. Katrina Guytingco chipped in with 17 points and six rebounds in the win.

Princess Pedregosa was the catalyst for the Lady Warriors as she racked up 21 points and an eye-popping 21 rebounds—12 of which came from the offensive end. Anne Pedregosa was one rebound away from a double-double, with 13 points and nine rebounds. Anna Requiron added 13 markers and six boards while Joyce Francisco chalked up 11 points.

The contest started as a battle in the shaded area, with both teams driving through the lane to rack up points, 11-11. Ateneo made sure the exchange did not last as Go hit three triples in the opening quarter to jump to an eight-point lead, ending the first frame 22-14.

The Lady Warriors opened the second period with an unsportsmanlike foul called on A. Pedregosa as she clipped Go while trying to close out on her attempted three. Guytingco produced the offensive spark for Ateneo, leading to a 42-49 advantage heading into the halftime break.

Building on her momentum from the first half, Guytingco opened the Blue and White’s account in the third quarter with a beautiful side-step move to create space for a shot. While the Lady Warriors found success in the paint, the Katipunan-based side always had an answer, maintaining their double-digit lead heading into the final quarter, 54-43.

Ateneo got off to a strong start in the fourth period, pulling a 5-0 run capped off by a Villamor dish to Selina De Dios for the open basket inside, 59-43. The Lady Warriors answered with a mini-run of their own but they could manage to trim their deficit to single-digits. Go and Villamor soon iced the game for the Blue and White with two consecutive three-pointers increasing the lead by as much as 15, 69-54. UE threatened a comeback with a late 9-0 run but the Ateneo lead was too big to overcome as the Lady Eagles secured a 69-63 win.

After the win, Go spoke about the team’s shot selection against the Lady Warriors. “We noticed that they’re [a bit slow] in closing out so mas tinake advantage namin iyon by driving [the ball] then kicking out if may help so our offense would be balanced, ” she said.

The Ateneo Lady Eagles will continue their UAAP Season 81 campaign on November 4, Sunday, at 10:00 AM against the defending champions, the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Quarter Scores:

Ateneo-UE: 22-14, 42-29, 54-43, 69-63

Box Score:

Ateneo (69): Go 21, Guytingco 17, Villamor 12, Joson 6, Cancio 6, Newsome 3, Buendia 2, De Dios 2, Nimes 0

UE (63): P. Pedregosa 18, A. Pedregosa 13, Requiron 13, Francisco 11, Cortizano 5, Borromeo 2, Ganade 1, Nama 0, Cuadero 0