LOOKING TO boost their Final Four chances back up, the Ateneo Blue Eagles broke their three-game losing streak as they held off the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers, 67-59. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 second-round matchup was held earlier today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
With today’s win, the Blue and White improved to a 5-6 win-loss slate which provisionally placed the Katipunan-based squad at fifth in the Men’s tournament standings.
Star forward Kai Ballungay led the Blue Eagles with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes of play. Chipping in for Ateneo’s gritty win, rookie revelation Raffy Celis provided some much-needed energy off the bench with a solid eight-point, 11-rebound outing.
On the other hand, Nic Cabañero had a double-double of his own, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for UST.
With a much-needed win at stake, the Blue Eagles wasted no time in shifting to high gear. Coach Tab Baldwin’s troops pressed UST’s ball handlers early on, while finding the open men with crisp ball movement on the offensive end. Jared Brown jump-started the scoring outburst for Ateneo, exploding for seven early points to put the Blue Eagles up at the halfway mark of the opening quarter, 11-4.
As Coach Tab tried to find the proper lineup combination to start the game strong, a surprise early entrance for rookie guard Celis proved to be the X-factor for the Blue Eagles today. Celis provided immediate impact off the bench as he crashed the boards aggressively, grabbing two offensive rebounds and making life tough for UST on defense. Ballungay added aggressiveness on the other side of the court, as his baseline drive leading to a foul put the Blue Eagles ahead, 14-6.
With Ateneo carrying significant momentum, UST star Cabañero kept the Growling Tigers within striking distance. His and-one play to end the quarter broke the Ateneo run and put life back into UST, 22-12.
The second period kicked off with both teams exchanging baskets, as Chris Koon and Mark Llemit hit their respective jumpers. However, a Ballungay-Brown offensive explosion led to a 9-0 Ateneo run, propelling the Blue Eagles to an 18-point lead, 34-16.
Despite the Blue Eagles threatening to pull away, UST found a way to get back in the game. Consecutive Ateneo turnovers coming from offensive lapses resulted in two easy fastbreak layups for Migs Pangilinan, 34-22.
Trying to prove his playing time’s worth, Celis continued to impress with his efforts in crashing the paint. The 6-foot-3 swingman grabbed two consecutive offensive boards and finished it off with a no-look dime to Joseph Obasa for an easy lay-in. Obasa drew a foul and hit both free throws to end the first half strong for Ateneo, 43-29.
At the start of the second half, Ateneo started to falter on the offensive end by missing shots from the perimeter and committing errors. Ballungay’s tip-in off a miss would be their only basket for the first six minutes of the third period, 45-29.
UST then capitalized on the Blue Eagles’ dry spell by sparking a 10-0 scoring run. Joseph Obasa’s goaltending violation capped off the Growling Tigers’ offensive barrage, 45-39. Co-Captain Sean Quitevis broke Ateneo’s scoring drought with a reverse layup finish near the baseline, 47-39.
The Tigers refused to back down and countered with back-to-back high percentage shots from Kenji Duremdes to make it a two-possession game, 43-47. With UST within striking distance, the Blue Eagles fended off the trailing squad with a Koon three off a Celis kick out at the buzzer. The co-captain’s long range bomb signed off the Blue Eagles’ third canto on a high-note, 50-43.
Ateneo entered the final quarter guns blazing through a quick 7-0 run. Lebron Nieto’s three and baskets near the restricted area from Ballungay and Koon would force the Growling Tigers to call a breather, 57-43. The regrouped Tigers answered another 10-2 scoring run to attempt another comeback. Cabañero split his charity shots to put the España-based squad within six, 53-59.
Approaching the last two minutes of the game, Celis immediately put Ateneo back on the scoring column with an up-and-under basket near the baseline, 61-53. In response, Pangilinan fired one from deep to cut the lead to five for the Growling Tigers, 61-56.
Amos returned the favor with another three while Koon nailed an unorthodox shot to reestablish the lead back to ten for the Blue Eagles, 66-56. Kylle Magdangal sank another three to cut the lead for the Growling Tigers, 66-59. Celis split his free throw to seal the game for the Blue Eagles, 67-59.
The Blue Eagles aim to improve their Final Four chances this Sunday, November 12, at 4:00 PM against the fourth-seeded Adamson University Soaring Falcons at the Araneta Coliseum, in Quezon City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (67): Ballungay – 15, Koon – 12, Brown – 10, Celis – 8, Amos – 8, Obasa – 7, Nieto – 3, Quitevis – 2, Chiu – 2
UST (59): Cabanero – 16, Pangilinan – 13, Duremdes – 9, Manalang – 6, Magdangal – 5, Laure – 4, Llemit – 3, Manaytay – 2, Calum – 1
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-UST: 22-12, 43-29, 50-43, 67-59
Current Standings (W-L)
- UP Fighting Maroons (8-2)
- NU Bulldogs (8-2)
- DLSU Green Archers (7-3)
- ADU Soaring Falcons (5-5)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (5-6)
- UE Red Warriors (4-6)
- FEU Tamaraws (3-7)
- UST Growling Tigers (1-10)
