THE ATENEO Blue Eagles secured a comfortable double-digit 89-75 win against the National University Bulldogs (NU) in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Blue Eagles improved to 11-0 for the season with the win earlier today at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
As a result of the win, the Blue Eagles are now at the very least assured of a playoff match for the top two spots in the Final Four standings.
The first quarter began with both teams exchanging baskets, creating a close affair midway through. A flurry of threes however—courtesy of Dave Ildefonso and Gian Mamuyac—gave Ateneo a double-digit advantage and some momentum to close the quarter strong with a 29-12 lead.
The boys in blue refused to pump the brakes in the second frame as they put on a prolific display of shooting en route to a 28-point lead against the Bulldogs. Ildefonso continued to sizzle, matching his two threes from rainbow country in the first with two more in the second. Geo Chiu also had himself a strong outing in the first half, racking up eight points before halftime.
Coach Tab Baldwin’s team opened up a 30-point lead in the third quarter thanks to Ange Kouame’s dominance down in the post and the Ateneo guards’ sweet shooting. The Blue Eagles headed into the final quarter up, 78-49.
Jeff Napa’s Bulldogs put up a fight to begin the fourth and final frame, going on a 12-0 spurt before Ateneo’s Kouame hit some foul shots to halt the run. The defending champions picked up their first field goal of the quarter at the 2:58 mark via a Belangel trey, ending their scoring drought and maintaining some distance from the opposition. In the end, they did just enough to seal the win, 89-75.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles once again had a dominant showing before being challenged offensively by the Bulldogs in the final frame. Ateneo’s starters contributed in a big way, with 56 of the 89 points coming from them.
The Katipunan-based team showed their depth in this game, with 10 Blue Eagles scoring five points or more. But it was Ildefonso who put on a show against his former team, as he scored 17—including a stellar 5/11 shooting clip from downtown—to propel the Blue Eagles to the victory.
Naturalized big man Kouame also impressed, scoring 16 as he continues to make his case for the Most Valuable Player award.
In a strong showing, Ernest Felicilda and John Figueroa led the way for the NU Bulldogs with 12 points apiece.
With the Blue Eagles now at 11-0 for the season, Coach Tab and his crew hope to continue this winning trend as they take on the scorching Adamson University Soaring Falcons on Tuesday, April 26, 4:30 PM at the MOA Arena.
Box Score:
Ateneo (89):
Ildefonso – 17, Kouame – 16, Belangel – 9, Chiu – 9, Verano – 8, Mamuyac – 8, Andrade – 6, Tio – 6, Koon – 5, Lazaro – 5, Padrigao – 0, Gomez – 0, Daves – 0
NU (75):
Felicilda – 12, Figueroa – 12, Clemente – 10, Gaye – 9, Ildefonso – 7, Torres – 7, Minerva – 5, Malonzo – 4, Mahinay – 4, Galinato – 3, Joson – 2, Enriquez – 0, Manansala – 0, Yu – 0
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-NU: 29-12, 61-36, 78-49, 89-75
