ONE GAME separates the Blue Eagles from a successful title defense after the Blue and White grinded out an 88-79 victory over the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in the first game of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Men’s Basketball Finals series, on Saturday, December 1, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Matt Nieto and Thirdy Ravena were key for the Blue and White, as they combined for 48 points in great all-around offensive performances from the veterans. Ravena was an assist shy of a triple after recording 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists while Matt Nieto led all scorers with 27 points. Jun Manzo was a force for the Fighting Maroons, carrying his team’s offensive load with a 19-point showing.

Ravena began the first quarter on a strong note, scoring 11 points at the halfway mark to see the Blue Eagles leading the Fighting Maroons by seven, 17-10. In the last two minutes of the quarter, the Fighting Maroons made it rain from downtown as Javi Gomez de Liaño and Diego Dario poured a combined three triples from three consecutive possessions to bring the Fighting Maroons within eight points of the Blue Eagles, 24-16.

Juan Gomez de Liaño, who had been quiet for the entirety of the quarter, scored his first point of the contest with a fadeaway from the right elbow at the 0:30 mark. However, the Blue Eagles’ efforts on offense saw them end the quarter with an eight-point advantage, 26-18.

UP started hot in the second quarter, managing to outmaneuver Ateneo’s defense to go on a 5-0 scoring run. A Mike Nieto basket at the 6:41 mark stopped the bleeding for the Blue and White, 28-23. Manzo led the Fighting Maroons by pouring in basket after basket to eventually tie the game at 32-all at the 4:02 mark. A Juan Gomez de Liaño triple gave the Fighting Maroons the lead at 32-35. Highlight plays characterized the final parts of the quarter as Matt Nieto managed an and-one play only to be answered by a Manzo triple at the buzzer. The Blue Eagles retained a slim, one-point lead going into the half-time break, 39-38.

Exiting halftime, the Blue Eagles looked like the aggressors on offense as a 10-3 scoring run in favor of Ateneo forced UP Head Coach Bo Perasol to call a timeout at the 6:40 mark, with the Fighting Maroons trailing by eight, 49-41. The stadium erupted after league MVP Bright Akhuetie went down at the 6:31 mark, clutching his leg after contact between the Kouame and the UP big man. The damage looked to be serious as the Nigerian was brought off the playing court on a stretcher with his leg wrapped in a cast.

Matt Nieto carried the offensive load for the Blue and White in the remaining minutes of the quarter, finding a lay-up at the 4:35 mark to get his 16th point of the match. A Paul Desiderio post move gave the Fighting Maroons the final say in the quarter, closing the margin to two points, 63-61.

Greeted by a loud round of applause from both sides, Akhuetie returned to the court at the 7:04 mark in the last frame, looking to close the deficit with Ateneo leading, 71-66. While both sides traded baskets to keep the score relatively tight in the middle stages of the quarter, Matt Nieto quietly went about his offensive work, slowly building the lead for Ateneo. Perasol called a timeout at the 4:15 mark with the Fighting Maroons trailing by eight, 80-72. Eventually, the Blue Eagles proved to be too much for the resilient Fighting Maroons, as Ateneo took game one of the best-of-three series with a convincing 88-79 victory.

Speaking on what the Blue Eagles need to improve on despite the win, Assistant Coach Sandy Arespacochaga said, “We’re not happy that Jun Manzo scored 19 points, and we’re not happy that we gave up 13 triples on 46% shooting. That’s something we’ll look at and focus on in order to come up with a good game plan for Wednesday.”

The Blue Eagles will be looking to claim their second consecutive UAAP championship in Game 2 of the Finals series on Wednesday, December 5 at 3:30 PM at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.

Quarter Scores (Ateneo-UP): 26-18, 39-38, 63-61, 88-79

Box Scores:

Ateneo (88): Ma. Nieto – 27, Thirdy – 21, Kouame – 7, Verano – 6, Tio – 6, Mamuyac – 5, Asistio – 4, Mi. Nieto – 4, Wong – 3, Mendoza – 3, Go – 2 

UP (79): Manzo – 19, Ju. Gomez de Liaño – 17, Ja. Gomez de Liaño – 11, Akhuetie – 10, Dario – 9, Desiderio – 5, Tungcab – 3, Vito – 3, Prado – 2