THE ATENEO Blue Eagles put an end to their three-game losing skid after eliminating the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws from the Final Four race, 67-50. The match was held earlier at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Quadricentennial Pavilion in the City of Manila.
Ateneo now stands with a 6-6 win-loss record in the second round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Ateneo center Sarah Makanjuola came off the bench and claimed the leading scorer title with an outstanding performance of 22 points and 10 rebounds. Following suit is Junize Calago who showcased a grand performance of 15 points—seven of which were made in the second quarter alone.
Both teams struck a balance at the opening of the match as back-and-forth baskets broke the ice. However, due to costly turnovers and passing errors, the Blue Eagles lagged behind FEU as they struggled to efficiently maneuver past the Lady Tamaraws’ strong defense, 9-14.
figure class=”wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter”>On top of that, Ateneo gave their opponents numerous chances to harvest additional points from the freethrow line. With FEU’s Queenie Aquino amassing a total of 10 points in the first quarter alone, the Blue Eagles dug themselves into a seven-point deficit by the end of the opening quarter, 12-19.
The beginning of the second frame continued to paint the Blue and White at a disadvantage as consecutive runs to the rim by their opponents proved to be another challenge. With rushed offensive baskets and foul troubles from the Blue Eagles, the Lady Tamaraws broke away with scoring runs of their own, 25-18.
Despite the deficit, back-to-back baskets from Makanjuola and Ateneo veteran LJ Miranda allowed Ateneo to catch up with the Lady Tamaraws in no time. With the help of an additional 13-2 scoring run, the Ateneo Blue Eagles closed the halftime at 33-27.
[SECOND QUARTER]
— Juris Salvanera (@Juris_TheGUIDON) November 19, 2022
Makanjuola ties up the ball game as she combines with Miranda once again! FEU call for a timeout.
Ateneo 25 FEU 25#UAAPBasketball
The Blue Eagles played their cards carefully in the third period as composed shots and heightened offensive plays marked an overall improvement in their performance. Consecutive baskets from Calago also contributed to Ateneo’s advantage on the scoreboard, 42-33.
Although the Lady Tamaraws contested with easy baskets, the Blue Eagles ultimately commanded the pacing of the game, which led to a 51-41 lead.
The final quarter worked in favor of Ateneo as points from the charity stripe racked up their score. While FEU struggled to tally additional points from the perimeter, Ateneo took control of the ballgame to seal their sixth win of the season.
The Blue Eagles are set to face the University of the East Lady Warriors at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion on Sunday, November 23, at 1:00 PM.
Box score:
Ateneo (67): Makanjuola – 22, Calago – 15, Joson – 13, Miranda – 7, Eufemiano – 6, Dela Rosa – 4
FEU (50): Aquino – 10, Jumuad – 9, Taguiam – 8, Pacia – 8, Go – 7, Delos Santos – 4, Manguiat – 2, Fe Paras – 2
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-FEU: 12-19, 33-27, 51-41, 67-50
