UNDER THE leadership of Team Captain Jhazmin Joson, the Ateneo Women’s Basketball Team (AWBT) acquired their seventh victory, taking down the Adamson University Lady Falcons (AdU), 69-61. The contest took place earlier today at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.
Today’s win elevates the Blue Eagles to a 7-4 win-loss record in the elimination round standings of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Joson proved to be the leading catalyst in today’s victory as she produced a career-high 32 points on 8 out of 17 shooting from beyond the arc. Sophomore Kacey Dela Rosa followed Joson’s breathtaking performance, accumulating 17 markers, 12 rebounds, and three blocks.
The protagonist of the game–Joson—opened the first chapter with a quick assist to Sarah Makanjuola for the first points of the contest, 2-0. The Lady Falcons retaliated with a 9-0 run courtesy of shots from Elaine Etang, Victoria Adeshina, and Kim Limbago. In an attempt to quell the Lady Falcons’ momentum, Dela Rosa would answer back with a layup of her own to cut down the deficit to five, 4-9.
However, the Blue Eagles were unable to halt the Adamson forces as the lead ballooned up to double-digits, 4-14. The Lady Falcons’ zone defense appeared to be a challenging problem to solve, with six minutes having gone by without a single point from Ateneo. In an attempt to lift Ateneo’s spirits up, Solis and Joson launched a volley of long-range shots, cutting the deficit to five, 10-14. Adamson and Ateneo then traded perimeter baskets, ending the quarter, 11-17.
The second act began with AdU’s Cheska Apag, Padelia, and Adeshina maintaining a 10-point cushion, 14-24. Joson witnessed the streak and clapped back with four threes to propel the Blue Eagles back in contention with the Lady Falcons, 28-33.
Undaunted by Ateneo’s comeback attempts, Adamson flaunted their aerial superiority with agile flights to the basket from Adeshina and Limbago, 30-38. AWBT’s skipper countered the aggression with a mid-range fadeaway jumper, 32-38. Joson again drained her seventh triple, 35-38, carrying on her hot streak to end the first half with 23 points.
Following the half-time break, with the emphasis now on stopping Joson, the Lady Falcons mistakenly unlocked their defensive cage, allowing Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate Dela Rosa to show off her exceptional skills inside the paint.
Dela Rosa began the third quarter with a putback shot, 37-38. Continuing the dominance with the help of Joson’s pinpoint passes, the sophomore big repeatedly penetrated Adamson’s backline to secure Ateneo’s first-ever lead in the match, 41-40. Unsatisfied, Ateneo’s forward pressed on, stretching the edge further by five, 46-40.
In classic fashion, the Ateneo duo linked up to give off an exquisite performance. However, Adamson would not easily surrender as they went on a 7-3 run to trim the Ateneo lead, 49-47. Joson, during an attempt to craft a bucket, drew a foul and nailed all her freebies to avoid any attempt of a Lady Falcon comeback, 51-47.
The final chapter started with the Blue and White reign with shots from Makanjuola and Dela Rosa, 55-52. Joson then notched her eighth triple of the game to extend the Blue Eagle lead to six, 58-52. Adamson tried to construct a comeback; however, with crucial injuries to Limlango and Apag, an imminent smell of defeat loomed for the Lady Falcons in the MOA Arena. Ateneo advanced on with their barrage of attacks on the paint, 62-55. In a last-ditch effort to salvage the game, Adamson’s Ann Dampios halted the bleeding with a shot from the perimeter to cut Ateneo’s lead to four, 62-58. Nevertheless, it was too late as Makanjuola and Calago put the finishing touches on the game, sealing the deal for the Blue Eagles, 69-61.
In the post-match interview, Head Coach LA Mumar praised his leader for showing up when the team needed her the most. “[Joson] bailed us out,” said Mumar.
The Atenean tactician also emphasized that if Joson had not put in the energy, today would have been another devastating loss for the Blue Eagles.
Looking to mount another streak, the Blue Eagles will face off with the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws on Sunday, 9:00 AM, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Quarter scores:
Ateneo-AdU: 14-18, 35-38, 51-47, 69-61
Box scores:
Ateneo (69): Joson – 32, Dela Rosa – 17, Makanjuola – 10, Calago – 6, Solis – 3, Villacruz -1, Eufemiano – 0, Cancio – 0, Gastador – 0
AdU (61): Apag – 18, Etang – 11, Adeshina – 10, Limbago -8, Dampios – 6, Alaba – 3, Padilla – 2, Agojo – 2, Bajo – 1, Corez – 0, Dumelod – 0, Meniano – 0.
Current Standings (W-L) as of writing
- NU Lady Bulldogs: 9-1
- UP Fighting Maroons: 8-2
- UST Lady Tigresses: 7-3
- ATENEO Blue Eagles: 7-4
- DLSU Lady Archers: 4-6
- FEU Lady Tamaraws: 3-7
- ADU Lady Falcons: 3-8
- UE Lady Warriors: 0-10
