FRESH OFF a defeat at the hands of their archrivals De La Salle University, the Ateneo Blue Eagles rally back with a 79-52 blowout over the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers. The game was held earlier today in the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City.
The victory brings Ateneo’s season record to 3-1 in the first elimination round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 Men’s Basketball Tournament. The 27-point lead also serves as the biggest margin of victory by any team so far in Season 85.
Forthsky Padrigao recovered from his off night in Ateneo’s previous matchup by leading his squad with 20 points, eight assists, and five steals. Dave Ildefonso gave help from the wing with his 10 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, while Kai Ballungay chipped in 10 points of his own.
Early in the match, the squad from España kept the match close against the Blue Eagles with a fast-paced ball movement and some tough shot-making to put pressure on the Ateneo defenders. Padrigao and Nic Cabañero traded buckets and dimes for their respective teams before ending the quarter with Ateneo up by four, 18-14.
[First Quarter]
— Ralph Bautista (@Ralph_TheGUIDON) October 12, 2022
Padrigao's layup opens up the Blue Eagles' scoring!
Ateneo 6 UST 2 @TheGUIDONSports#UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/tfWtiuyfQ4
UST managed to inch closer to Ateneo’s score in the second quarter, with some hot shooting over the Blue and White’s perimeter defense, making it difficult for Ateneo to increase the lead. UST’s Miguel Pangilinan managed to bring the game to a 28-28 tie before Ateneo pulled away ever so slightly with a one-point lead. The second frame of the match served as the only quarter where the Growling Tigers managed to outscore Ateneo in the game, with UST coming up with 18 compared to Ateneo’s 15 points.
Both ends of Ateneo’s game came alive in the second half, where they locked down the Golden shirts to only 20 points total for the rest of the game. The Blue Eagles kicked off the third quarter with a Padrigao triple, which served as the catalyst for Ateneo’s 12-2 scoring run to put them up 51-38. By the end, Ateneo outscored UST in the third quarter by 24-11 to give their squad some breathing room, 57-43.
[Third Quarter]
— Ralph Bautista (@Ralph_TheGUIDON) October 12, 2022
Ateneo's mesmerizing offensive sequence results in an Andrade triple!
Ateneo 57 UST 43 #UAAPBasketball pic.twitter.com/4zyDZpXkpL
The fourth quarter was a similar story as Ateneo’s suffocating defense prevented UST from chipping away at the lead they created in the third. The Growling Tigers were held to only nine points in the fourth as the Ateneo bench held down the lead to secure the victory, 79-52.
Ateneo looks to maintain their composure as they are set for their bout against the defending champions, University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons. The most anticipated rematch between the two Katipunan-based teams will be on Sunday, October 16, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Quarter Scores:
Ateneo-UST: 18-14, 33-32, 57-43, 79 -52
Box Scores:
Ateneo (79): Padrigao – 20, Ildefonso – 10, Ballungay – 10, Kouame – 7, Koon – 7, Chiu – 5, Quitevis – 5, Gomez – 3, Andrade – 3, Garcia – 3, Fornilos – 3, Lazaro – 2, Daves – 1
UST (52): Cabañero – 12, Lazarte – 11, Faye – 8, Manalang – 5, Pangilinan – 5, Duremdes – 5, Garing – 4, Magdangal – 2
