STILL UNBEATEN in the second round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Men’s Basketball Tournament, the Blue Eagles grabbed a 71-62 victory over their arch-rivals, the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers, on Sunday, November 11, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Coming off the bench for the first time this season, Thirdy Ravena was hugely influential as he contributed 14 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks in 28.17 minutes of action. Angelo Kouame was also hugely impressive as he racked up his own double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals in just 20.17 minutes of action on the court.

The early stages of the first quarter saw both teams struggle to get going offensively, with Ateneo edging ahead by a solitary point, 7-6, at the 5:07 mark. Ateneo Head Coach Tab Baldwin was forced to substitute Kouame as the Blue and White big man committed his second personal foul just midway through the first quarter. Tempers flared in the last minute of the quarter as fouls were called on Aljun Melecio, Isaac Go, Taane Samuel, and Baldwin for their involvement in a foul call that saw Go charged with an offensive foul for a supposed shove on Melecio. Samuel finished in the paint to ensure the Green Archers held a four-point advantage at the end of the quarter, 18-22.

Five minutes into the second period, the Blue Eagles found themselves outscored 7-3, prompting Baldwin to call another timeout. Ravena led the Katipunan-based squad’s charge to recapture the lead as he set up Tyler Tio and went 2/2 from the charity stripe, 30-33. A Mike Nieto rebound and finish was enough to tie the match before halftime, 35-35.

Both sides refused to give way exiting halftime, exchanging a flurry of baskets to stay level. By the time an officials’ timeout was called at the 4:58 mark, both teams found themselves tied once more at 47-all. With 15 seconds left on the clock, Tio expertly found Isaac Go on the Iverson cut. The Ateneo big man then drained a triple to ensure the Blue Eagles ended the quarter with a four-point advantage, 54-50.

Kouame came up huge for the Blue and White in the final quarter as consecutive buckets from the Ivorian put Ateneo ahead by seven at the four-minute mark, 65-58. While the Blue Eagles looked comfortable on the ball, the Green Archers struggled mightily on both ends of the court. Ravena took advantage of a poor defensive showing by drilling in a triple at the two-minute mark (71-58). With Ravena and Kouame contributing 59% of the team’s points in the final frame, the Blue Eagles eventually took the game 71-62.

Following the result, Ravena spoke about his perception of the game while giving praise to both his teammates and the Green Archers for a well-fought battle, saying, “It’s all about who wants it more and it’s all about effort. I [want to] give props to La Salle— they really fought hard and also, [I’d like to] give props to my teammates. Everyone stepped up.”

The Blue Eagles will be looking to end their second round campaign with their seventh consecutive victory against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers on Wednesday, 2:00 PM, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Quarter Scores: 18-22, 35-35, 54-50, 71-62

Box Scores:

Ateneo (71): Ravena – 14, Kouame – 11, Verano – 9, Navarro – 7, Mi. Nieto – 7, Ma. Nieto – 6, Tio – 5, Mamuyac – 5, Asistio – 3, Go – 3, Daves – 1

DLSU (62): Melecio – 13, Baltazar – 12, Santillan – 10, Caracut – 8, Samuel – 8, Manuel – 5, Montalbo – 2, Bates – 2, Serrano – 2