THE ATENEO Blue Eagles inch closer to booking their 23rd Final Four appearance in the last 24 seasons after knocking the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors out of postseason contention, 80-74. The crucial contest between the fourth and sixth-seeded squads, respectively, took place earlier today at the Mall of Asia Arena in the City of Pasay
With the win today, the Blue and White now holds a 7-6 record with only a game remaining in the elimination round. If any, a loss by the fifth-seeded Adamson Soaring Falcons against the National University Bulldogs later in the afternoon would secure the Blue Eagles’ place in the semifinals.
Point guard Jared Brown starred for Ateneo with his lights-out offensive flurry, scoring 21 points while shooting 6/11 from behind the arc. Meanwhile, sophomore forward Kai Ballungay chipped in with 15 points, four rebounds, and five assists of his own.
With much on the line, the Katipunan-based squad jumped off to an early 9-0 lead with Brown spearheading the Ateneo first five’s spirited effort with a hot 3/3 start from the perimeter. Co-Captain Chris Koon also joined in on Brown’s marksmanship, hitting a trey midway through the frame to put the Blue Eagles up, 12-6. However, Ateneo’s second unit failed to continue where Brown and the starters had left off, as they were outscored 6-15 by UE for the remainder of the quarter. Despite Ateneo being a little frazzled, Brown continued his stellar shooting clip, hitting a three-pointer before the end of the canto to cut the deficit to three, 18-21.
Instrumental in the Red Warriors’ end-of-quarter push was Wello Lingolingo, who gave the Ateneo defense problems in their last matchup as he single-handedly outscored the Blue Eagles’ bench mob with his eight-point quarter.
The Blue Eagles refused to stay behind for long, orchestrating a 9-3 run at the start of the second frame with Brown’s fourth three-pointer of the half to hand the defending champions a 27-24 lead. Both units in the hunt for the last postseason slot entered the stretch of the second canto by exchanging baskets, until back-to-back point-blank makes from Ballungay and Obasa helped extend Ateneo’s cushion to 34-27.
The Blue and White’s pristine 58.3%-three-point shooting clip in the half was an instrumental boost, with rookie Kyle Gamber tallying his first points of the season via a catch-and-shoot triple for a 39-30 lead. Thanks to a 24-point second quarter, Ateneo concluded the half up 42-34 after both sides exchanged productive trips to the foul line.
Building on their strong first half performance, Ateneo was able to carry the momentum with solid ball movement on the offensive end early in the third quarter. Unlocking the Red Warriors’ defense, the Blue Eagles easily spotted Obasa in the paint via an extra kickoff pass to bring the lead up to double digits, 45-34.
With their Season 86 Final Four lives on the line, the Red Warriors would not go down without a fight as Lingolingo drained a triple to cut the lead to eight. Despite UE threatening to spark a comeback, Ateneo continued to attack the Red Warrior defense, as Brown immediately answered back with a three of his own. Additionally, Koon provided extra offensive help, draining both his foul shots, 51-41.
While keeping their offense blazing, the Loyola Heights-based squad also did their duty on the other end of the floor. The perimeter defense of Quitevis was on full display, as the veteran wing marked Rey Remogat well, forcing the UE star to some tough jumpers, midway through the third period. Sparked by their skipper’s ardor, the rest of the Blue Eagles fell in line, contributing to their good transition defense plays. Jason Credo stayed vertical in his UE-fastbreak contest, bothering the shot enough for a miss and Ian Espinosa’s counterattack on the other end, 55-43.
Despite how smoothly the game went for the Blue Eagles in the first three quarters, their end-game struggles that have haunted them in past games still ensued. With the Blue Eagles’ playmaking and defense suddenly collapsing in the dying embers of the fourth frame, the Red Warriors came back to life courtesy of Maglupay and Galang to cut the deficit to four, 72-68.
Bailing out the Blue Eagles in the clutch is Mason Amos, who broke their fourth-quarter field goal drought with a baseline post-up move in the remaining 50 seconds. Consequently, Quitevis ultimately ended UE’s postseason dreams at the free throw line, 80-74.
Despite the win, Ateneo Head coach Tab Baldwin voiced his displeasure on the Blue Eagles’ effort, especially in the final frame that allowed UE to draw within four.
“I thought we looked a bit disinterested today. No excuse for that. It’s disappointing to turn the ball over as much as we did and not be more dominant with them missing Precious (Momowei),” said Baldwin.
Notching player of the game honors, Jared Brown echoed his mentor’s statements.
“We weren’t as locked in. Personally I made some turnovers because I wasn’t locked in. That’s what killed us,” added Brown despite his 21-point output.
Looking to build momentum with a semis berth now likely, the Blue Eagles face long-time rivals De La Salle University Green Archers on Saturday, 6:00 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (80): Brown – 21, Ballungay – 15, Obasa – 13, Espinosa – 5, Koon – 5, Chiu – 5, Amos – 4, Quitevis – 3, Nieto – 3, Gamber – 3, Credo – 2, Celis – 1
UE (74): Remogat – 22, Lingolingo – 14, Galang – 12, Sawat – 12, Alcantara – 6, Maglupay – 5, Langit – 2, Tulabut – 1
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-UE: 18-21, 42-34, 62-48, 80-74
Current Standings (W-L)
- UP Fighting Maroons (10-2)
- NU Bulldogs (10-2)
- DLSU Green Archers (9-3)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (7-6)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (5-7)
- UE Red Warriors (4-9)
- FEU Tamaraws (3-9)
- UST Growling Tigers (1-11)
