THE BEST phrase in sports, winner-take-all, is what the Ateneo Blue Eagles forced after tonight’s Game 2 win against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, 65-55. The intense University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Basketball Finals match was held earlier today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
With the win, the Blue and White will now face UP in a do-or-die final battle for the second consecutive season and the second time this year. However, the Blue Eagles would prefer a different outcome this time around as they look to avenge the loss from last May.
Ange Kouame and Kai Ballungay were vital for the Blue Eagles in the victory, dropping 19-11 and 15-5 points-rebounds statlines, respectively.
The first quarter saw lots of turnovers and fast-paced action as both teams struggled to convert on their offensive ends. JD Cagulangan was active on both ends for UP as the Fighting Maroons went on to lead 9-7 in the halfway mark of the quarter. This is when Josh Lazaro checked in for the Blue Eagles and made the most out of his early minutes with consecutive free throw trips which kept Ateneo in the game.
With less than two minutes left in the first period, Ateneo finished strong, making their free throws and getting stops on defense. The Blue Eagles managed to end the quarter with a small 20-19 lead.
The second period started off with a 6-0 run courtesy of the Blue and White, as baskets from Kai Ballungay and Ange Kouame pushed Ateneo’s lead to seven, 26-19. However, the Fighting Maroons were able to counter as they cut the lead down to four with six minutes left in the half.
Steady minutes from the Ateneo second unit proved vital as the defense played a huge role in keeping the lead, with Sean Quitevis and Chew Daves stepping up for the Blue and White.
Due to several game breaks because of replay reviews, the pace slowed down for both teams as the first twenty minutes of action was played with Ateneo up, 41-33. Forthsky Padrigao played steadily during the first two quarters as he scored nine points in 14 minutes.
With momentum on Ateneo’s side, the second half started with the Blue Eagles maintaining an eight-point lead throughout most of the third period. The Blue and White controlled the tempo of the game, allowing them to execute their plays with deadly precision. Ballungay continued his strong scoring outing, which pushed the Blue Eagles’ lead up 13 points to end the third period at 57-44.
Although Ballungay continued his excellent scoring runs, the Ateneo forward was made to sit out a few plays after incurring his third personal foul. Afterward, the Fighting Maroons continued chipping away at the lead with Terrence Fortea hitting a three to diminish Ateneo’s advantage to single digits with under four minutes remaining, 63-52.
From there, the game was at a standstill with both teams struggling to score, which worked in the Blue Eagles’ favor as they calmly dribbled the ball out each time down the floor. Padrigao, who had a quiet second half, took control of the ball for Ateneo in the last two minutes with masterful dribbling and maneuvering through the UP defense. The game ended with Ateneo keeping the lead 65-55.
A winner-take-all match is now set as this season’s Battle of Katipunan reaches its final destination on Monday, December 19, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum once again. Will it be a historic championship for the Diliman-based school or will Ateneo complete its revenge tour out on top?
“It’s not about me, it’s about the whole team. What I really wanna talk about is the performance of the whole team. The bench, seeing Geo step up, Kai Ballungay step up, to see Sean Quitevis step up. It really made me feel in the right position to be able to be with them and see that they really want it as much as I want it. I think it’s a team effort, it’s not just about Ange Kouame scoring a double-double,” said Ange Kouame
“When the alumni came and spoke to the team, it was really special…Game 1 didn’t go the way I wanted it. Coming into tonight I really just wanted to impact the game in any way I could, to help the team,” shared Kai Ballungay
Box Scores:
Ateneo (65): Kouame – 19, Ballungay – 15, Padrigao- 11, Chiu – 6, Daves – 6, Ildefonso – 3, Gomez – 2, Lazaro – 2, Koon – 1
UP (55): Tamayo – 15, Cagulangan – 11, Fortea – 9, Lucero – 6, Alarcon – 5, Abadiano – 4, Diouf – 2, Galinato – 2, Spencer – 1
Quarter Score:
Ateneo-UP: 20-19, 41-33, 57-44, 65-55
