THE ATENEO Blue Eagles’ slow start continues in the 2023 Filoil EcoOil Preseason Cup as they fall to the hands of De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers, 59-72. The match was held earlier this afternoon at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in the City of San Juan.
Ateneo has now dropped their third game in a row with a 0-3 win-loss record as they remain at the bottom of bracket B.
Second-year forward Kai Ballungay was the lone double-digit scorer for the Blue Eagles after dropping 18 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, former Ateneo High School standouts Ian Espinosa and Jason Credo trickled in nine and seven points respectively for their squad.
Ateneo’s offense struggled to get into rhythm in the first quarter, as La Salle’s daunted full court press prevented Ateneo from getting into their sets until late in the shot clock. With the offense now rushed, the Blue Eagles’ attack was rendered inefficient, as they shot a lowly 23% from the field at the half. The Blue and White’s efforts on the boards, however, helped keep them in the game as their six offensive rebounds and seven second chance points gave Ateneo a slim one point lead after one frame, 15-14.
The offensive struggles carried over for the Katipunan-based squad in the second quarter, as La Salle’s press continued to hound Ateneo. Fortunately for the Blue Eagles, their defensive efforts also impeded the Green Archers’ offense to keep the game close throughout the canto. Both teams struggled to find the bottom of the net from beyond the arc, resulting in a combined 5-21 from three point range, which led to a low scoring 28-32 first half finish.
In the second half, the Taft-based team came out of the dugout with an intensity that the Blue Eagles Band of Brothers failed to match. The Green Archers’ star point guard Evan Nelle–who was held scoreless in the first half—torched Ateneo with 10 points in just the third quarter alone. Athletic big man Michael Phillips also kept Ateneo from building momentum with his rim-rattling dunks and hustle, as La Salle grabbed a 41-55 lead heading into the final frame.
Ateneo failed to close the gap in the fourth quarter despite the efforts of Ballungay on the offensive end. The 6’7 forward scored 12 of his 18 points in the final two quarters to counter La Salle’s offensive surge. Ultimately, DLSU’s third quarter output was too much for Ateneo to recover from as the game ended with Ateneo falling 59-72.
The Blue and White aim to put their first win in the preseason on the board after their next matchup against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws on Friday, June 2, at 4:00 PM at the same venue.
Box Scores:
Ateneo (59): Ballungay – 18, Espinosa – 9, Credo – 7, Brown – 5, Obasa – 5, Padrigao – 4, Quitevis – 3, Amos – 3. Chiu – 3, Nwabude – 2
DLSU (72): Nelle – 12, Nonoy – 11, Quiambao – 11, David – 11, M. Phillips – 10, Policarpio – 5, Gollena – 4, Escandor – 3, Abadam – 2, Manuel – 2, B. Phillips – 1
Quarter Score:
Ateneo-DLSU: 15-14, 28-32, 41-55, 59-72
