IN THEIR do-or-die playoff matchup for the last Final Four berth, the Ateneo Blue Eagles dismantled the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons, 70-48. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 win-or-go-home contest was held earlier this afternoon at the Mall of Asia Arena in the City of Pasay.

With this outcome, the Blue Eagles finally clinch the remaining postseason slot after 15 grueling matches. Meanwhile, the Soaring Falcons bow out of contention as they end their magical Season 86 run with the loss earlier today.

Rookie sensation Jared Brown led the Blue Eagle attack, scoring 20 points on an efficient 8/14 shooting from the field, along with four rebounds and four assists. Providing much-needed help were Sean Quitevis and Mason Amos, who scored 11 and 10, respectively.

Meanwhile, Matt Erolon amassed nine points and two rebounds for the Soaring Falcons despite the loss.

Determined to extend their streak in the Final Four to a whopping nine years, the Blue and White came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, getting off to an 8-0 start just two minutes into the game. Sharpshooter Brown lifted the Blue Eagles throughout the opening period, knocking down a total of three triples to boost Ateneo on the offensive end.

Ateneo’s hot streak was not limited to Brown, as Amos and Quitevis contributed to the Blue Eagles’ five shots from beyond the arc in the first quarter alone. The Blue and White’s stellar shooting was topped off by a big three from Brown to close the opening canto, 24-16.

Building on their opening quarter momentum, the Blue Eagles came out of the gates full of energy at the start of the second quarter. Jason Credo drained a bailout corner three to push the Ateneo lead to double digits early in the quarter, 27-16.

Banking on their revamped energy, the Blue Eagles converted this vigor into plays on the defensive end. Ateneo successfully stopped back-to-back Adamson fastbreaks with solid transition defense from rookie wing Andrew Bongo. The Soaring Falcons followed suit in amping up their defense, resulting in a mid-quarter stalemate with little offense coming from both teams, 27-18.

As Adamson tried to come back in the ball game with a 5-0 run, the Blue Eagles found an immediate 6-0 clap-back. Amos and Brown’s consecutive buckets brought Ateneo back to a 14-point advantage heading into intermission, 40-26.

At the onset of the second half, both squads came out of their respective locker rooms guns blazing, highlighted by both Brown and Quitevis triples which kept the team up by double digits. Magbuhos and Montebon answered back with baskets of their own as the rubber match carried on early in the third quarter, 31-45.

Riding on the increased pace of the game, the Blue Eagles ignited a 9-2 scoring run, still powered by their offensive engines Amos and Brown. However, Adamson was still determined to fight hard for their Final Four hopes, led by Montebon who kept them in the game with tough shots, 33-47.

Trying to pull away and finish the job early, Ateneo was able to draw fouls off of aggressive plays inside the paint, not allowing Adamson to generate stops. Brown’s double-clutch acrobatic layup ballooned the Blue Eagle lead up to 17, 56-39. 

With no plans of looking back, the Blue Eagles immediately resumed their offensive barrage in the first minutes of the final period. Brown, Ballungay, Quitevis, and Obasa all contributed to the Ateneo scoring as they slowly pulled away to a lopsided victory. A Jerom Lastimosa consolation three at the final buzzer capped the scoring, 70-48. 

After locking up the four-seed, Ateneo faces their Finals foe from the previous two seasons, the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, this time with a twice-to-win disadvantage. The game will be held on Saturday, 2:00 PM, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Box scores:

Ateneo (70): Brown – 20, Quitevis – 11, Amos – 10, Ballungay – 7, Obasa – 4, Bongo – 4, Koon – 3, Nieto – 3, Credo – 3, Espinosa – 3, Lazaro – 2

AdU (48): Erolon – 9, Hanapi – 8, Calisay – 5, Manzano- 4, Yerro – 4, Montebon – 4, Sabandal – 4, Magbuhos – 3, Lastimosa – 3, Ramos – 2, Barasi – 2

Quarter scores: 

Ateneo-AdU: 24-16, 40-26, 56-39, 70-48

Playoff Bracket

1. UP Fighting Maroons (twice-to-beat) vs. 4. ATENEO Blue Eagles

2. DLSU Green Archers (twice-to-beat) vs. 3. NU Bulldogs