DESPITE THEIR loss to the Adamson University (AdU) Lady Falcons, 65-80, the Ateneo Lady Eagles end their University of Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Women’s Basketball Tournament campaign with a strong performance on Thursday, November 16, at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Cara Buendia posted a game to remember as she closed the curtains of her UAAP career with 15 points on 7/10 shooting, three rebounds, and two steals, while fellow graduating player Jollina Go tallied 7 points, shooting ⅔ from deep, six rebounds, and three assists.  Joanne Nimes loaded her pistols as she knocked down four triples to end the game with 15 points, one assist, and a steal. Katrina Guytingco chipped in 10 points, two rebounds, four assists, and a steal.

For Adamson, Mariz Cacho came off the bench and unleashed a barrage of three-point baskets, nailing 6/7 from distance to finish the contest with 20 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Nathalie Prado also shot an efficient 8/13 from the field to take her account to 20 points, 12 boards, three assists, and three steals. Finally, Jamie Alcoy added 11 points, two rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

The contest started out with both teams playing great man-to-man defense, resulting in several turnovers for both squads. The game’s first basket came off an AdU turnover which the Lady Eagles punished, with Guytingco pulling away quick in transition for the layup and a foul. The Lady Falcons settled into their offense and found themselves ahead by as much as six points, 8-14. However, Buendia’s three-point play and Go’s prolific scoring from distance tied the match before Nathalie Razalo ended the quarter with a putback, 14-16.

Three-point shooting was the story of the second period as both teams were on target from beyond the arc. Nimes pulled a three back for the Blue and White following triples from Jamie Araja and Lady Rosario to start the frame, 17-22. The Lady Falcons scored a couple of unanswered baskets, but the back-to-back three-pointers courtesy of Nimes and Alyssa Villamor kept Ateneo within a single basket, 32-35. A couple of plays that went in favor of the Lady Falcons would solidify their advantage to end the first half ahead by eight, 32-40.

The Lady Falcons’ offense in the third quarter put tremendous pressure on Ateneo as they threatened to pull away after draining two consecutive triples, 38-51. The Blue and White needed to control the bleeding and they countered by taking the ball in the paint for quick inside points, 42-53. However, the Lady Eagles found it hard to break the Adamson defense as they were plagued by turnovers and missed shots, allowing the Lady Falcons to take a 48-66 lead heading into the final frame.

The Lady Falcons’ defense completely took over the deciding period as they suppressed Ateneo’s firepower while converting on the other end to extend their lead to 24, 51-75. Nevertheless, the Katipunan-based side put up a valiant fight to trim their deficit, 61-76. Both teams traded baskets until the Lady Falcons secured the win, 65-80.

The Ateneo Lady Eagles finish the season with a 4-10 win-loss record, highlighted by season sweeps against the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons and the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors.

The team’s excellent performance at the start of the second round looked like it would propel them to the Final Four, but consecutive defeats at the hands of the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses, and the De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers in the second round denied them a post-season berth.

Quarter Scores:

Ateneo-AdU: 14-16, 32-40, 48-66, 65-80

Box Score:

Ateneo (65): Buendia 15, Nimes 15, Guytingco 10, Go 7, Villamor 6, Cancio 5, Chu 3, Joson 2, Quirante 2, Newsome 0, Moslares 0, Miranda 0, Payac 0, Gino-Gino 0, De Dios 0, Aquisap 0

Adamson (80): Cacho 20, Prado 20, Alcoy 11, Araja 9,  Bilbao 8, Rosario 5, Camacho 3, Razalo 2, Aciro 2, Cabug 0, Osano 0, Tandaan 0